Kenya's electricity demand has attained unprecedented levels, with peak consumption reaching 2,514.28MW as of June 29, 2026, representing an 8.55 percent rise compared to the preceding year and marking the highest demand recorded over the past five years, according to a recently published report. According to the 2025/2026 Energy and Petroleum Statistics Report issued by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (Epra), this milestone represents the inaugural instance in which the nation's peak electricity demand has surpassed the 2,500MW threshold.
The nation's electricity generation experienced an increase of 8.44 percent, driven by the expansion of generation capacity to address the continuously rising demand.
The total installed capacity expanded by 3.81 percent, reaching 3,987.2MW as of June of the current year, according to the report. The study indicates that regional electricity commerce has grown substantially, with imports rising by 379.81GWh to reach 1,913.66GWh during the reviewed period.
The Acting Director-General of Epra, Joseph Oketch, attributed this expansion to enhanced importation, storage, and distribution infrastructure, coupled with improved product accessibility and government initiatives supporting clean cooking practices. "The energy and petroleum sector has demonstrated sustained expansion. It is noteworthy that consumption of clean energy continues to increase," Dr. Oketch stated. "The rise in Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) consumption has been facilitated by strengthened importation, storage, and distribution infrastructure; enhanced product accessibility; and government policy measures designed to encourage clean cooking adoption." Renewable energy sources represented 81.16 percent of total installed generation capacity, while captive generation increased by 12.05 percent, reaching 676.60 megawatts.
According to the report, captive solar photovoltaic installations demonstrated notably robust expansion, increasing from 300.5 megawatts to 373.30 megawatts, which constitutes a 24.22 percent growth rate. Among all customer segments, residential electricity consumption exhibited the most substantial growth, rising by 18.87 percent to attain 4,327.07 gigawatt-hours. Furthermore, the quantity of grid-connected customers expanded by 411,710 units, bringing the total to 10.43 million customers, as documented in the report.
Kenya is presently importing 200MW of electrical capacity via the Ethiopia-Kenya high-voltage interconnection, with projections indicating an increase to 400MW upon implementation of the subsequent phase outlined in the power purchase agreement with Ethiopian Electric Power. Petroleum imports experienced an elevation of 11.52 percent, reaching 10.88 million cubic metres, whereas domestic consumption increased by 8.41 percent to attain 6.33 million cubic metres.
The energy sector is experiencing concurrent expansion and diversification as the nation addresses escalating energy requirements and transitions toward environmentally sustainable sources. This transformation is evidenced by heightened electricity consumption, accelerated growth in electric vehicle adoption, augmented renewable energy infrastructure and distributed solar installations, alongside widespread uptake of liquefied petroleum gas.
According to the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority, liquefied petroleum gas consumption rose by 14.62 percent, reaching 475,943 tonnes. This increase elevated per capita consumption from 7.9 kilograms to 8.9 kilograms, reflecting the growing preference for cleaner fuel alternatives among residential consumers, institutional entities, and the transportation sector.