Mbeya — THE project to connect 105 hamlets to electricity in Mbeya Region has reached 93 per cent completion, raising fresh hope for more than 3,400 residents set to benefit from the vital energy service.

Members of the Board of Directors of the Rural Energy Agency (REA), led by the representative of the Board Chairperson, Mr Florian Haule, have expressed satisfaction with the pace of implementation of the project being executed by the Electrical Transmission and Distribution Construction and Maintenance Company (ETDCO).

Speaking during an inspection tour in the region, the board members commended the progress, noting that the project, valued at 10.9bn/-, is being implemented efficiently.

ETDCO Director of Technical Services, Mr Abdallah Mitenda, said the company is well-positioned to complete the project by the end of May this year (2026), ahead of the two-year contractual timeline.

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Project Manager, Mr Ajuaye Jeggo, said a total of 3,465 customers are expected to be connected to electricity under the project. He urged residents in the project areas to prepare their homes in advance to enable immediate connection once the service becomes available, at a cost of 27,000/-.

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The project involves the construction of a 1.5-kilometre medium-voltage power line, 210 kilometres of lowvoltage distribution lines, and installation of 105 transformers.

Residents from the beneficiary areas have expressed gratitude to the government through REA, saying access to electricity will boost social and economic development, including business activities, education and health services.

Upon completion, the project is expected to catalyse significant transformation in rural communities by opening up new development opportunities and improving livelihoods