NAIROBI, Kenya, October 5, 2026 — The consumption rate of electricity in Kenya is gradually changing the energy map of the country due to the continuous increase in energy demand and the growth of electricity supplies coming from other countries.
The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) states in the Energy and Petroleum Statistics Report for the year ending June 30, 2026, that Kenya’s peak electricity demand reached 2,514.28 on June 29, 2026, which is an 8.55% increase from the previous year when it was 2,316.22 MW. This indicates that the peak demand that year was the highest recorded in five years and was the first peak, which typically occurs in June.
However, what is even more intriguing is what has happened outside Kenya’s power stations.
During the fiscal year of 2025/26, the import of electricity increased significantly to 1,913.66 gigawatt-hours (GWh), which corresponds to a rise of 25.9 per cent, making electricity imports contribute 12.19 percent to the total electricity supply mix in Kenya against only 10.60 percent in the previous year. Ethiopia was the major provider of electricity, supplying 1,577.66 GWh, or 82.45 per cent of Kenya’s electricity imports. Uganda supplied 322.06 GWh, while Tanzania contributed 6.53 GWh of electricity to Kenya.
The dependence on imported electricity will increase further with Kenya getting 200 MW of electricity from Ethiopia via the high-voltage line, with plans to double the amount of electricity to 400 MW in the next phase of the power purchase agreement.
Despite this, Kenya is not turning its back on local generation. Indeed, electricity generation increased by 8.44 percent to 15,692.81GWh, the installed generation capacity gained 3.81 percent, reaching 3,987.2 MW by June 2026. It is noteworthy that renewable energy has remained a cornerstone of the system, where its share in generation or installed capacity is around 81 percent.
Electricity generation in the country increased by 8.44 percent to 15,692.81 GWh in June 2026, with installed capacity of 3,987.2 MW growing by 3.81 percent. Actually, renewable energy still constitutes the core element of Kenya’s energy sector, making up about 81 percent of the total energy generation and installed capacity.
Kenya’s electricity narrative has evolved from merely increasing generation to a delicate balance of rising internal consumption, cleaner energy production, and expanding cross-border energy trading.
Moreover, the next milestone may arrive even faster than expected since EPRA’s outlook suggests that peak demand will be around 2,700 MW in the next year.
