The government has sought to allay public concerns over possible power rationing after President William Ruto’s recent remarks sparked fears of nationwide blackouts.
Speaking in Doha, Qatar, during the Second World Summit for Social Development, President Ruto had mentioned that between 5pm and 10pm, power is occasionally cut in some areas to stabilise the national grid. His statement quickly caused anxiety among Kenyans over the prospect of scheduled outages.
However, Principal Secretary for Energy Alex Wachira has clarified that Kenya’s energy supply remains sufficient, stressing that the President’s comments were aimed at encouraging increased power generation to support industrial growth, not announcing rationing.
Kenya Power’s Managing Director and CEO, Dr Eng. Joseph Siror, acknowledged that the grid sometimes faces temporary strain due to equipment breakdowns or fluctuations in solar and wind output. Still, he affirmed that the country generally has adequate electricity.
“Yes, once in a while, we experience slight constraints because of breakdowns or low renewable output. But overall, Kenya has sufficient power, our only issue is that our reserves are quite thin,” Siror explained.
PS Wachira added that Kenya lacks a “spinning reserve”, a backup system that allows instant injection of power into the grid during supply dips.
“We rely heavily on good wind days, but when output is low, we don’t have enough firm capacity to meet peak demand,” he said.
Since 2018, no new energy plants have been added to the grid due to a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) moratorium introduced by Parliament to review electricity costs. During this period, power demand has grown rapidly, nearly matching generation levels.
Dr Siror urged for swift action, calling the moratorium outdated.
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“We need to act fast. The notion that Kenya has excess electricity is misleading and must be addressed,” he said.
PS Wachira echoed his remarks, highlighting the need to diversify energy sources.
“We must explore liquefied natural gas (LNG), nuclear energy, and major hydropower projects to industrialise effectively,” he said.
Kenya Power is currently investing KSh 29 billion to strengthen the grid and improve its stability and redundancy.
The government maintains that there will be no deliberate power rationing, insisting that President Ruto’s comments were misinterpreted and intended to underscore Kenya’s need for expanded energy generation to support future growth.
