Youths urged to harness rural electricity
KYERWA: KAGERA Regional Commissioner Col Ramadhan Kido has urged young people to utilise expanding rural electricity services to establish incomegenerating ventures and reduce migration to urban centres.
He made the call during a tour of development projects in Kyerwa District ahead of the 2026 Uhuru Torch Race, which is scheduled to visit the council next month.
Col Kido said reliable electricity has become a key driver of rural economic transformation by creating opportunities for youths to engage in productive activities close to home.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to achieving universal access to electricity.
Meanwhile, TANESCO Kagera Regional Manager Eng Tawakal Rwahila said preparations were underway to connect more than 500,000 new customers over the next five years.
He said 2,029 of Kagera’s 3,662 hamlets have already been electrified, representing 55.4 per cent coverage, while work is ongoing in 474 hamlets.
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Since independence in 1961, about 206,200 customers have been connected to electricity in Kagera.
“Under our five-year programme, we plan to register about 63,000 new customers annually,” Engineer Rwahila said.
He added that all 662 villages in Kagera have already been connected to electricity, with current efforts focusing on extending supply to the remaining hamlets.
Engineer Rwahila commended President Samia Suluhu Hassan for supporting people-centred development projects aimed at improving livelihoods across the region.
