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{
    "id": 1554384,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1554384/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 238,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Wundanyi, WDM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Danson Mwashako",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "from 25 per cent to 0 per cent. This Bill has come at the right time, as the country aims to connect every household to electricity by 2027. Transformers play a central role in power connectivity, especially in last-mile connectivity. We have been pushing hard to ensure that all households across our constituencies are connected to electricity. However, the greatest challenge has been the high cost of connections. The largest costs are for transformers and cables. Connecting households across a span of approximately 600 metres requires one or two transformers, and this cost has been an impediment. It is against this backdrop that we must also reflect, as a country, on the tax policy adopted in 2023. The Medium-Term Policy Framework for 2023–2027 calls for tax laws that are predictable, consistent and stable at levels that can inspire investor confidence. Investors need to make investment decisions knowing that the tax laws will not change unpredictably, yet every year, Finance Bills brought to this House seek to amend various tax provisions. As we pass this important amendment to support electricity connectivity, we must stamp our authority over the frequency and pace of tax law changes. Hon. Temporary Speaker, investors have consistently expressed outcry regarding the instability of our tax system. They require confidence in the tax policies that will remain steady for at least three to five years while making investment decisions. I must also mention that KPLC and REREC, who have been in charge of power connectivity, need to fast-track the implementation of their projects. Whenever a project is pursued at the constituency level, one hears excuses about delayed material imports, missing poles, missing metres, or missing transformers. I urge the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Energy to call these parastatals to order so that we do not continue to experience delays in project implementation due to avoidable shortages. If the cost of producing transformers locally is reduced, we can meet the demand for electricity connectivity. Replacing transformers should not be delayed by lengthy importation processes. That is why I support this Amendment Bill. Once transformers are assembled locally at affordable prices, we can achieve the connectivity goals that we have set. In my constituency, there are areas such as Kishushe, Bong’orua area, Mwakilemba, and Ngongodini where residents have been waiting for electricity connectivity. Every time I follow up, I am told there are no poles or transformers, yet people genuinely need electricity. Furthermore, we must acknowledge that in some parts of this country, populations are sparsely distributed. One transformer might serve only a few households. The KPLC and REREC often find that connecting such areas requires multiple transformers to serve a limited number of homesteads – between five or ten households per transformer. Therefore, in such regions, affirmative action must be employed. In rural constituencies like mine, many households are not connected to electricity. As I support this Amendment Bill, I urge the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Energy to advocate for prioritising connecting rural constituencies. Allocating the same number of transformers to urban and rural constituencies when the needs and settlement patterns differ significantly is unfair. Moreover, this House must take stock of the current status of electricity connectivity nationwide to ensure equitable development across the country."
}