| dc.description.abstract | This research project should be treated just as a starting point for further investigations into why many development projects aimed at improving the living conditions of the slum dwellers or peoples settlements fail in Kenya. The Mathare 4A and Kibera slums up-grading projects performed dismally due to similar pertinent problems. The peoples settlement electrification project has also had its share of hiccups due to the perennial misunderstanding between the various stakeholders arising from lack of proper information and participatory approach to the project implementation. The main project implementer; KPLC made serious negative assumptions concerning the populace of the peoples settlements which made them oppose the project from the on-set. The issues like use of load limiters made the residents feel the power they were being supplied with was of low quality and not enough for their usage so they continued to resort to the illegal supply from the slum cartels who are stealing power from KPLC. The cartels also capitalized on lack of proper information to the residents from the implementer so as to
raise fighting mechanisms to bring the project down for their illegal trade to could continue thriving.
The research project also faced serious problems on obtaining information from KPLC staff, slum residents and other stakeholders due to suspicion and negative opinions already formed on the project or vested interests in the project. There following findings and recommendations came out strongly from the research data;
Speed of project implementation:
The implementation rate is too slow resulting in targeted customers resorting to illegal connections as a result of too long waiting periods. This has to improve through proper resource availability and coordination.
Pre-paid metering methods:
Most of the residents of the slums are in casual labour force; being paid per day or weekly, so accumulating their electricity consumption for a whole month make them feel it is expensive.
The power utility company should introduce daily power paying method like EDUs with even small unit purchases like with Ksh 201=, the way mobile phone providers are doing. This will make the residents purchase their consumptions when they need and with
proper balancing with other competing needs. This explains why even butcheries and shops in these areas have even measures for things like meat, cooking fat, unga just for single meal consumptions.
Proper stakeholder involvement:
The slum residents have little information about the projects and when they have the information it is piecemeal and liable to misinterpretation. The implementer should have thorough and friendly customer education so as to win the support of opinion leaders and other decision makers in the areas.
Connection chargeslFixed charges:
This makes customers in these areas feel electricity is expensive and so they resort to illegal connections. The provider should do away with these as they stand to gain through savings in revenue lost due to illegal connections.
The research further recommends wider coverage in the area of study to make the recommendations all inclusive | en |
