Rural Electrification in Africa

Mengistu Teferra is a Senior Advisor in Ethiopia's Ministry of Finance and Economic Development. He holds a MSc. Degree in Energy Studies from the University of Sussex, United Kingdom, a Diploma in Electricity Distribution from the University of Trondheim, Norway, and a BSc. Degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He has held post of Head of the Department of Mines, Energy and Water Resources, Senior Energy Expert, and Energy Team Leader in the Ministry of Economic Development and Cooperation, and Engineer in charge of a hydro station in the Ethiopian power utility - Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation. He is a leading Ethiopian energy analyst, and has authored numerous influential reports and publications on the energy sector of Ethiopia. Stephen Karekezi (B.Sc. and MSc.) is the Director of the African Energy Policy Research Network (AFREPREN) as well as the Executive Secretary of the Foundation for Woodstove Dissemination (FWD), Nairobi Kenya. In 1995, he was appointed member of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel (STAP) of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) co-managed by the World Bank, UNDP and UNEP. Mr. Karekezi is an engineer with post-graduate qualifications in management and economics. He has written, co-authored and edited some 87 publications, journal articles, papers and reports on sustainable energy development. In 1990, he received the Development of Association Award in Stockholm, Sweden in recognition of his work on the development and dissemination of the Kenya Ceramic Jiko, an energy efficient cooking stove.