Government aims to increase rural electricity access from the current 11% to 30 percent by 2030, according to Department of Energy Affairs spokesperson Saidi Jabu, who revealed the development to The Nation newspaper.

Jabu revealed that power will go beyond trading centres. “In the new masterplan, it is expected that more rural communities will be connected to the utility grid. The masterplan study has shown that 80 percent of the population are within five kilometre radius from the distribution line and the next phases will consider connecting these communities.” said Jabu.

200 households in Traditional Authority Kabunduli in Nkhata Bay, are being supplied with electricity, courtesy of mini generators made from scrap metal. The initiative comes as a solution by the Department of Energy in the Ministry of Natural Resources, to cater for the region, being that it is outside of the national power grid.