Power Sparks New Life In Olela Parish As Minister Ogwang Pushes For Full Electrification Uptake

 January 9, 2026   |    73 views

By Our Reporter I Ngariam Focus

OLELA PARISH, KATAKWI SUBCOUNTY —What was once darkness at sunset is fast turning into opportunity at sunrise.

In Olela Parish, the hum of electricity is no longer just a promise on poles but a growing force reshaping daily life and local enterprise.

Ngariam County MP and Minister of State for Education and Sports, Hon. Peter Ogwang, has rallied residents to fully embrace the newly extended power supply, urging households, institutions and businesses to connect and put electricity to
productive use.

Speaking during a community engagement, Ogwang reminded residents that the long-awaited transformer was delivered in response to their own appeal, opening the area to the national grid.

“You asked for power and I delivered,” Ogwang said. “The trading centre, schools, churches and nearby homesteads now have access. Electricity must now work for you — to grow incomes and improve lives.”

Local Leaders Seek Wider Coverage

While welcoming the progress, local leadership called for the next phase of electrification. Olela Parish LC I Chairperson *Otoke Joseph* appealed for the extension of electric poles to pockets still left out, noting that full coverage would allow the entire community to benefit equally from the rural electrification programme.

Business Booms Under New Light

Early signs of transformation are already visible. With refrigeration, lighting and longer operating hours now possible, traders report improved sales.

Alex Iporut, a businessman at the trading centre, said electricity has changed the rhythm of business.
“Since power came, sales have gone up,” Iporut noted. “Cold drinks attract customers, and we can operate into the night.”

From Wires to Wealth

Residents view the power connection as more than infrastructure — it is a gateway to agro-processing, value addition, skills training and improved service delivery.

Analysts say sustained uptake and expansion of the grid could position Olela Parish as a growing rural commercial hub.

As power lines stretch across the parish, expectations are equally rising.

For Olela, electricity is no longer just lighting homes — it is illuminating a path toward economic growth and community progress.