Kenya is on track to achieve universal electricity access within five years, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA)
It follows ambitious implementation plans and electrification using clean energy technologies that have positioned the country as a leader in the region, according to the IEA’s new Energy Policy Review of the country.
Electricity access rates rose from 37% in 2013 to 79% in 2023, with urban areas already achieving full access, the report notes.
The Last Mile Connectivity Project (LMCP), launched in 2015, has played a pivotal role in bringing electricity to 9 million people in rural areas and reducing the number of people without access by nearly half in just under a decade.
Ongoing initiatives aim to connect an additional 280,000 households across the country by the end of 2025.
The IEA report also highlights Kenya’s leadership in off-grid solar, with the country accounting for nearly three-quarters of all solar home system sales in East Africa in 2023.
These off-grid solutions have become a key part of Kenya’s electrification strategy, particularly in remote and underserved communities.
Currently, one in five households uses solar-powered mini-grids or standalone systems.
“Kenya is showing how the strategic deployment of clean energy technologies and electrification in end-use sectors can significantly improve the lives of millions of the most vulnerable people in the world,” said Mary Burce Warlick, the IEA’s deputy executive director, who launched the report with minister of energy and petroleum J Opiyo Wandayi.
The report coincides with the Kenyan government’s review of its own National Energy Policy.
According to Wandayi, the Draft National Energy Policy 2025-2034 seeks to address remaining challenges associated with energy access, affordability and security, whilst promoting clean energy solutions to cut dependence on fossil fuels and driving green industrialisation.
Low-emissions technologies now form the cornerstone of Kenya’s electricity mix, with geothermal, hydro, wind and solar sources accounting for nearly 90 per cent of power generation.
Kenya is also home to the Lake Turkana Wind Project, the largest wind farm on the African continent, and has some of the lowest cost geothermal projects in the world.
The country has long been a pioneer in Africa for geothermal energy, which accounts for almost one-third of total electricity generation capacity.
The IEA report also underscores Kenya’s efforts to modernise and expand its electricity grid.
New regulations in 2024 open transmission and distribution networks to private investment, aiming to increase competition, reduce costs and improve efficiency.
Kenya’s power networks, however, still face high losses – estimated at 23 per cent in 2023 – due to technical issues, theft and billing problems.
Smart grid solutions and better management systems are under consideration to address these losses, the report notes.
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