Utilities

As with most African markets, Kenya’s power sector is defined by a two-track approach, with an eye to boosting generation and improving access. The reasoning behind the latter is clear; electrification rates in the country are low even by continental standards, and this is exacerbated by the modest urbanisation rate. As for the former, in contrast to much of the rest of the continent, Kenya currently has ample supply to meet demand, but has nonetheless set a series of targets to boost generation based on projections of increasing consumption on the back of rapid GDP growth and large public works projects. The government hopes to increase power supply dramatically over the next 12 years, with a large share coming from renewable sources. The future is also likely to involve a refocusing from building capacity to addressing cost and reliability.

This chapter contains interviews with Mugo Kibati, Chairman, Lake Turkana Wind Power.