Kenya Power, the nation’s largest electricity distributor, has cautioned Kenyans to expect more frequent national blackouts as the country faces challenges with power supply from neighboring nations.
The rising reliance on electricity imports from Ethiopia, Uganda, and Tanzania has heightened the risk of load shedding, according to Kenya Power CEO Joseph Siror.
Siror highlighted that Kenya’s dependency on foreign power is precarious, especially when these countries prioritize their domestic needs.
“If their hydro resources go down, the first disconnection is external – and that includes us. It’s a delicate situation,” he said, emphasizing the vulnerability of depending on external suppliers.
Although power imports currently represent a small share of Kenya’s electricity, they are vital in stabilizing the grid during periods of reduced hydroelectric power generation, especially during droughts.

Hydropower reliance by Ethiopia, Uganda, and Tanzania means that any drop in water levels can directly affect the electricity exports Kenya relies on.
For example, in 2023, low water levels forced Ethiopia to limit its power exports, resulting in a 280MW shortfall that led to load shedding across Kenya.
This threat of blackouts also links back to a moratorium on new power generation imposed in 2021 under former President Uhuru Kenyatta, which suspended 92 projects totaling 2,345MW due to high costs.
Although the moratorium was lifted in 2023 by President William Ruto’s administration, delays in Parliament have hindered Kenya Power’s ability to contract new suppliers to bridge the energy gap.
Energy Principal Secretary Alex Wachira urged Parliament to expedite lifting restrictions on Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) and renew those set to expire. “As an economy, we cannot grow without adequate power,” Wachira stressed.
Kenya currently imports 200MW from Ethiopia through a 25-year agreement, with the option to increase this capacity by 2026. However, planned expansions have faced setbacks.
The Tanzania-Kenya power trade also remains stalled, pending the completion of the Isinya-Suswa transmission line, a critical part of the Eastern Africa Electricity Highway project, which will connect Ethiopia and Kenya.
The strain on Kenya’s grid is further exacerbated by growing demand. Peak electricity demand has reached 2,242MW, with available capacity standing at 2,320MW, leaving a slim reserve margin of just 3.4 percent—far below the recommended 15 percent.
To address these challenges, Kenya has outlined plans for new power projects, including the Olkaria VI and VII geothermal plants, projected to add 220MW by 2027.
Additionally, two international firms are set to supply 35MW each from geothermal projects at Menengai by September 2026. However, even with these projects, Kenya Power CEO Siror cautioned that the grid will still require an additional 310MW to fully stabilize reserves.
In the short term, these initiatives are expected to alleviate some of the pressure on the grid, though Kenya Power warns that a significant increase in reserve capacity is crucial to support the nation’s economic expansion and avert potential disruptions.