Kenyans Set New Record in Power Consumption as Production Soars to Historic High
Kenya’s electricity sector has hit a new milestone, with data from the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (Epra) revealing that electricity production and consumption surged to an all-time high in March. The spike signals expanding industrial activity and increased demand from households, painting a positive picture of Kenya’s economic momentum.
Electricity generation and local purchases rose to 1,226.3 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) in March, edging up from 1,223 million kWh recorded in February. This marks the third straight month of increased generation and the eleventh month in a row where output remained above 1,000 million kWh—an unmistakable sign of rising national consumption.
The power boom is largely driven by Kenya’s industrial sector. Fresh data covering the six months to December 2024 show that large and medium industries, factories, warehouses, and major public infrastructure like airports and railways consumed 2,807.10 gigawatt-hours (GWh). That figure represents 51.18% of Kenya’s total electricity usage—a 3.73% increase from the 2,706.1 GWh consumed during the same period the previous year.
“This is a 101 GWh increase in consumption compared to a similar period last year, signalling an increase in industrial activities,” noted Epra.
The upward trend in generation is mirrored by growth in electricity sales. Kenya Power, the country’s leading power distributor, posted record-breaking sales of 956.76 million kWh in January—a historic high. According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), the company’s previous record of over 900 million kWh was achieved in July 2024 and has since been consistently maintained, except for a dip in December.
February marked another historic moment, with peak national electricity demand reaching 2,316 megawatts (MW), surpassing the previous record of 2,036 MW in November 2023. The increased demand is expected to significantly boost Kenya Power’s revenues from electricity sales.
KenGen, the country’s primary electricity producer, supplied 59.94% of the total 7,717.61 GWh generated between July and December 2024. Other notable contributors included electricity imports (10.48%), Lake Turkana Wind Power (10.24%), and Orpower (5.78%).
However, the rapid growth in consumption comes with challenges. Kenya’s electricity reserve margin—the buffer meant to ensure stable supply—has shrunk to just 4%. The reduced margin has forced Kenya Power to implement load shedding for certain consumers to avoid broader outages.
As the nation continues to grow economically and industrially, energy sector players will need to innovate and invest in reliable infrastructure to sustain the momentum without compromising stability. The current boom underscores the urgent need to strengthen Kenya’s grid resilience and diversify its energy mix to meet future demands.
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Kenyans Set New Record in Power Consumption as Production Soars to Historic High