Kenya’s electricity imports from Ethiopia increased by 88% in the first half of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, driven by the search for cheaper hydropower, according to a report by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS).
During this period, Kenya imported 672.26 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity from Ethiopia, up from 357.44 million kWh the previous year. The monthly imports have grown significantly, rising from 20 million kWh in 2023 to a peak of 122 million kWh in 2024.
Ethiopia now accounts for the majority of Kenya’s electricity imports, while imports from Uganda declined to 106.07 million kWh, down from 141.23 million kWh in the first half of 2023.
The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority attributes this shift to the affordability of Ethiopia’s hydropower. Kenya has also constructed a 500-kilovolt interconnector line to facilitate regional power trade, allowing for increased imports. The country’s main electricity distributor, Kenya Power, reports about 10 million consumers, a figure that has doubled in recent years due to rising demand.
Kenya’s total installed power capacity stands at 3,321 megawatts, with energy production diversified across geothermal, solar, and wind sources.