Kenya’s government has revealed aims to invest around US $386 million to expand the country’s electrical coverage. Alex Wachira, the Principal Secretary (PS) for Energy, unveiled the plans and stated that the goal is to reduce the nation’s dependency on biomass, which is now used for cooking by 68% of the population and contributes to carbon emissions and health hazards, while also increasing coverage to 80%.
Over the following two years, the investment intends to connect one million more clients to electricity. Together, the European Union (EU), European Investment Bank (EIB), and French Development Agency (AFD) have contributed over US $170 million.
An additional US $92.6M has been given by this program, which focuses on constructing mini-grids in 14 counties in the northeast. Every year, the government allots $38.6 million, and in the upcoming fiscal year, it intends to add an additional $92.6 million. The expected total financing for 2025 and 2026, when combining these sources, is $386 million USD.
The idea of “firm capacity” is also essential to Kenya’s approach. Approximately 2,368 megawatts of dependable power that is accessible when needed, mostly from hydropower and geothermal sources, are referred to here. In order to improve the stability and dependability of its power supply, Kenya plans to diversify its energy sources and adopt battery energy storage.
Transmission constraints are also being considered. For example, Kenya has two coastal thermal power plants that ensure voltage stability and have a combined capacity of 320MW. In order to guarantee effective power distribution throughout the nation, efforts are being made to upgrade the transmission system.
