Eggichicken and Mwasemphangwe on the Brink of ‘Tasting’ Electricity
Sleek, dark-polished electricity poles now stand tall in Mwasemphangwe, Lumezi District, and Eggichicken in Chasefu District of Eastern Province, signalling a new era for these communities.
These recently installed poles will soon connect these two areas to the national grid by year-end in phase two of ZESCO’s Chipata-Lundazi-Chama (CLC) 132kV grid extension project.
For the first time in history, Eggichicken and Mwasemphangwe will experience grid electricity.
"This project is a game-changer for our communities," says Eng. Mathews Phiri, Senior Manager for Contracts Management and CLC project leader. "We aim to commission these projects in the fourth quarter of 2025, bringing electricity to the people of Eggichicken and Mwasemphangwe. These two communities have had no power since time immemorial,” says Eng. Phiri.
This second milestone is expected to come on the back of the successful connection of Chama and Lundazi districts to the national grid after 59 years of relying on electricity supply from neighbouring Malawi, itself still struggling with insufficient and unstable supply, and a diesel power generator.
The CLC grid extension project has been a milestone achievement, with the first phase completed using internally sourced funds and human resources, reducing costs from US$69 million to US$20 million.
“In 2018, the project kicked off, with the first contractor managing to construct the 305 kilometres of the transmission line, while the other two contractors failed to deliver the second line after being unable to reach financial closure. However, in 2023, ZESCO decided to complete the first part of the second phase using an in-house project implementation unit,” recounts Eng. Phiri.
A Boost to Economic Growth
Lumezi and Chasefu are part of the districts that richly contribute towards the Eastern Province’s food basket. The two districts also act as a trading route connecting Chama and Lundazi districts.
This richness is easily spotted along the dusty and bumpy roads, which in some places can be overwhelming with scenes of marketeers happily displaying their hard-earned beans, rice, and tobacco produce.
“Part of the objective of this project is to uplift socio-economic development in these areas. Most importantly, it was to go into the unserved areas such as Mwasempangwe and Eggichiken and set up substations in each location and basically increase access to electricity in these places,” says Eng. Phiri.
George Mwanza, Mayor of Chipata expects the completion of the CLC grid extension project to spur economic growth in the region.
The CLC project is a testament to ZESCO's commitment to expanding access to electricity and driving development in Zambia.