The Government of Sierra Leone, with financial support from the African Development Bank (AfDB) and UK Aid, also known as the Department for International Development (DfID), launched mid-February the rehabilitation and extension of the Bo-Kenema Electricity Distribution System in the country worth $53m, AfDB stated.

According to the AfDB, the Bo-Kenema rehabilitation project is in line with the Sierra Leone’s government’s Post Ebola Recovery Program, identified as a key deliverable, in the efforts to improve citizens’ access to energy services, ESI Africa reported.

The project will upgrade and construct a 33KV electricity line between Bo and Kenema. The project will also construct new primary substations to enhance the reliability and sustainability of electricity supply between the two cities.

For the first time, 37,000 households located in Bo, Kenema, and villages along the route of the distribution line, will benefit from a supply of electricity through the installation of pre-paid electricity meters connecting them to the line. The 17,500 households already connected will benefit from a more reliable supply of electricity.

The project will also provide technical training for staff at the Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA) and other key stakeholders.