EAC to “Spend Big” on Power

 East African Community (EAC) member states will spend about $1.8 billion on the implementation of its power master plan in the next seven years, according to Magaga Alot, spokesperson for the EAC. Members of the EAC include Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, with Burundi and Rwanda having recently joined the community.

Out of the amount, some $1.2 billion will be used for power generation while $600 million will be spent on power transmission projects. “The fully-fledged East African Power Master Plan envisages a time frame of up to seven years to a fully-fledged regional power system with the creation of a power pool as a central feature,” Alot said. 

The EAC has developed a regional power master plan to connect the power systems of the original three member states. The plan also established a list of potential energy resources suitable to meet the demand of the combined systems. This list included hydroelectric, thermal, and geothermal. It also includes the establishment of an East African power pool.