Ruto Announces an Initiative to Enhance Kenya's Power Grid With an Additional 10,000 Mw Within the Next Seven Years

Posted on : Monday , 1st December 2025

President Ruto has revealed an ambitious strategy to generate an extra 10,000 MW of electricity in the next seven years, a measure aimed at fostering industrialisation, unlocking new technological prospects, and advancing the nation to a higher level of economic development.

 

During a joint meeting of the National Assembly and the Senate on Thursday, he stressed that Kenya is rich in a variety of mostly untapped renewable energy resources such as geothermal, solar, hydro, wind, and nuclear. He remarked that to accomplish extensive value addition, agro-processing, manufacturing, and overall industrial development, the nation requires energy that is sufficient, affordable, and reliable. Contemporary technologies, including data centres and artificial intelligence, require a significant energy supply. In order to modernise our economy and leverage technology to generate new opportunities — converting our agriculture and natural resources into value-added products — it is essential to supply the numerous megawatts necessary for manufacturing and industry," he stated.

 

He emphasized that energy serves as the essential foundation of any contemporary economy, noting that no country has attained significant progress without having access to plentiful, dependable, and cost-effective power. He indicated that this constitutes Kenya's third national priority. Currently, Kenya has an installed capacity of 3,300 MW, yet the fluctuating nature of solar and wind energy results in a firm capacity of only 2,300 MW — which is considerably lower than the demands of a future industrialized Kenya.

 

To enable domestic electrification, industrial manufacturing, e-mobility, green industrialization, digital development, and a technology-focused future, he underscored that the nation must pursue a substantial increase in its power generation capabilities. Kenya presently generates approximately 14,472 GWh of electricity annually, indicating consistent growth in the energy sector. This rise in production has primarily been fueled by the expansion of renewable energy initiatives and enhanced generation efficiency throughout the nation, as per recent statistics from the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA).

 

Electricity demand has peaked at roughly 2,316 MW, reflecting the increasing needs of households, businesses, industries, and developing technologies. While Kenya's installed generation capacity is about 3,200 MW, it is important to note that not all of this capacity is consistently available.

The reliable power capacity of the grid, referred to as firm capacity, is approximately 2,300 MW. The disparity between installed capacity and firm capacity is primarily attributed to the variable characteristics of solar and wind energy, which are influenced by weather conditions.

 

In Kenya, the electricity generation landscape is predominantly shaped by renewable energy, accounting for nearly 80 percent of all produced power.

Geothermal energy is the primary source in this mix, providing a consistent and reliable supply, with hydropower, wind, and solar energy following.

Thermal plants that rely on fossil fuels remain important, particularly during peak demand periods or when renewable energy output is insufficient. The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) has noted a recent rise in thermal generation aimed at stabilizing supply during peak periods while also supporting intermittent renewable energy.