Rural Electrification Expansion Strategies, Project Control Mechanisms And Implementation Of Energy Access Projects In Underserved Counties In Kenya.

Abstract

The study examined the rural electrification expansion strategies, project control mechanisms and implementation of energy access projects among rural households in underserved counties in Kenya. Specific objectives were to: examine the extent to which project planning influence implementation of rural energy access projects in underserved counties in Kenya, establish the extent to which project service outsourcing influence implementation of rural energy access projects in underserved counties in Kenya, determine the extent to which project fund mobilization influence the implementation of rural energy access projects in underserved counties in Kenya, examine the extent to which project company influence the implementation of rural energy access projects in underserved counties in Kenya, establish the extent to which combined rural electrification expansion influence the implementation of rural energy access projects in underserved counties in Kenya, establish the extent to which project control mechanisms influence the implementation of rural energy access projects in underserved counties in Kenya and establish the extent to which project control mechanisms moderates the relationship between rural electrification expansion strategies and the implementation of energy access projects in underserved counties in Kenya and were anchored on stakeholder theory, theory of constraints and ladder of participation theory. The study adopted pragmatism approach and descriptive and correlational research design. A total of 373 respondents were picked from 5,604 residents in underserved counties in Kenya through stratified sampling and purposive sampling techniques. Interviews, observation and questionnaires were utilized to collect the data from the respondents. The R2 and F-test was utilized to test the hypotheses. The results were project planning (R2 = 0.042,F = 4.399(p < 0.05), project service outsourcing ( (R2 = 0.064,F = 6.842(p < 0.05), project fund mobilization ( R2 = 0.148,F = 17.239(p < 0.05) had significant influence on the implementation of energy access projects in underserved counties in Kenya and therefore the null hypothesis was rejected while project company (R2 = 0.003,F = 0.336(p > 0.05) had insignificant influence on the implementation of energy access projects in underserved counties in Kenya and the study failed to reject the null hypothesis. The combined rural electrification expansion had statistically significant influence on implementation of energy project performance in underserved counties (R2 = 0.139, F = 11.942(p < 0.05), which led to the null hypothesis being rejected. Project control mechanisms significantly influenced the implementation of energy access (R2 = 0.065, F = 6.896(p < 0.05), thereby rejecting the null hypothesis. Project control mechanism significantly moderated the relationship between rural and implementation of energy access projects in underserved counties in Kenya (R2 = 0.142, F = 9.821(p < 0.05). Particularly, the correlation coefficient, increased from 37.2% to 37.7%, the R2 increased from 13.9% to 14.2%, which was an improvement of 0.3%. Thus, the null hypothesis was rejected. In conclusion, the study findings provided evidence that for increased implementation of energy access projects in underserved counties in Kenya, rural electrification expansion strategies should be comprehensively formulated, and regulatory policy frameworks instituted. Thus, the study’s findings would help all stakeholders to identify suitable business models that would be beneficial to decentralized alternative sources of energy. The study thus recommends that there was need for developing appropriate infrastructures that could support rural electrification energy systems and training local communities in areas related to operation and maintenance of rural electrification systems. Further, it also recommended that further studies need to be done to interrogate the causes of disparities in rural electrification expansion strategies on the implementation of energy access projects.