1 Have Power Sector Reforms Increased Access to Electricity Among the Poor in East Africa?

The article focuses on power sector reforms in East Africa and attempts to assess their impact on the poor. Specifically, the article examines the extent to which the amendment of the Electricity Act- a key pillar of power sector reform- has influenced the electrification of the poor. The article is based on the case studies of Kenya and Uganda undertaken under the auspices of the Global Network on Energy for Sustainable Development’s “Energy Access ” Working Group. Poverty levels in the East African sub-region are very high, particularly in the rural areas. For instance, in both Kenya and Uganda, virtually the entire (100%)1 rural population falls under the US $ 2 per capita per day poverty threshold. Consequently, the rural population has been used as a proxy for the poor in this article. This article reveals that only 1 % of the rural households in Kenya and Uganda has access to electricity – implying that very few of the poor are electrified. The two case studies demonstrate key shortfalls in the provision of electricity to the poor. First and foremost, the amended Electricity Acts do not sufficiently address the issue of th