Dar es Salaam. High household wiring costs, damage to electricity infrastructure and theft are slowing rural electricity connections in Tanzania, despite expansion of the national grid to all villages.
The government has completed electricity supply to all villages and is now focusing on connecting hamlets and increasing household connections. However, many rural households remain unconnected due to the cost of wiring homes.
Speaking at the 50th Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair, Rural Energy Agency (REA) Supervising Engineer for the Central Zone, Ms Aneth Malingumu, said access to electricity has reached most rural communities, but connection levels remain low.
She said national electricity access stands at over 85 per cent, while rural access is at 78.1 per cent. However, only 37.2 per cent of rural households are connected to the grid.
Ms Malingumu said the main barrier is the cost of wiring, which ranges between Sh200,000 and Sh300,000, beyond the reach of many households despite lower official connection fees.
She added that limited productive use of electricity in rural areas has also slowed uptake, with many households using power mainly for lighting rather than income-generating activities.
Other challenges include logistical difficulties in remote areas, damage to infrastructure during farming activities, and theft of electrical equipment, which increases maintenance costs.
“Infrastructure damage and theft force us to rebuild affected sections, increasing costs and delaying projects,” she said.
Ms Malingumu said the government is targeting universal rural electrification by 2030. More than 10,000 hamlets are currently being connected, while plans are underway to extend supply to a further 13,000.
The aim is to raise rural electricity access to 100 per cent and increase household connections from 37.2 per cent to 75 per cent by 2030.
A resident, Ms Malcelina Mashaka, called for greater transparency in electricity connection costs, particularly where communities are required to contribute to infrastructure such as poles.
She said unclear pricing discourages potential customers and slows uptake of connections.
