From May 2025 through April 2026, Kenya consumed about **15.2 TWh of electricity**, with low-carbon domestic generation supplying roughly **83%** of that total. Geothermal was the largest source, providing about 6.4 TWh, or 42% of consumption, followed by hydropower at 3.5 TWh, or 23%, and wind at 1.9 TWh, or 12%. These sources are included within the low-carbon total of 12.6 TWh. Fossil generation supplied about 1.1 TWh, or 7%, while net imports contributed approximately 1.5 TWh, or 10%; the data do not identify the imports’ generation mix. Despite this predominantly clean electricity supply, consumption was only **265 kWh per person**, around 7% of the global average of 3,794 kWh per person. Such low electricity availability can constrain industrial development, healthcare, education, and access to modern services, highlighting the need for substantially more clean electricity.

Is Electricity Growing in Kenya?

Electricity consumption in Kenya is growing, although the increase remains modest. The latest 2026 figure of 265 kWh per person exceeded the previous record of 259 kWh in 2025, with the supplied data reporting an increase of approximately 5 kWh per person, or about 2%. Low-carbon electricity generation also reached a new record of **219 kWh per person**, up 6 kWh from the previous high of 213 kWh in 2025—an increase of roughly 3%. These records are encouraging, particularly because clean generation is growing faster than overall consumption. However, much stronger growth is needed to narrow the global electricity gap and support electrification, industry, and emerging demand from digital services and AI.

Suggestions

Kenya should expand its established wind generation alongside geothermal development, while making solar and nuclear important pillars of future clean electricity growth. Useful lessons come from regions with expanding electricity needs and strong solar resources: India generates about 192 TWh from solar and 124 TWh from wind, while Brazil produces roughly 85 TWh from solar and 111 TWh from wind. South Africa offers a particularly relevant African reference, generating about 20 TWh of solar electricity and 12 TWh of nuclear electricity. Kenya can also learn from the United Arab Emirates, whose nuclear generation reaches around 32 TWh, and from France’s much larger nuclear programme. These examples support developing solar at scale, expanding wind in suitable locations, and building the institutions, workforce, and infrastructure needed for nuclear generation. Stronger grids and electricity access should accompany this expansion so that additional clean supply translates into higher consumption and broader economic opportunity.

History

Kenya’s low-carbon electricity history shows variable hydropower output alongside important gains in geothermal and wind. Hydropower fell by a combined 1.9 TWh in 1999–2000, then recovered by 1.8 TWh in 2001–2002. Further declines in 2008–2009 were followed by gains of 1.3 TWh in 2010 and 0.8 TWh in 2012. Geothermal delivered a major breakthrough in 2014, adding 2.1 TWh, followed by gains of 0.6 TWh in 2017 and 0.5 TWh in 2023. Wind became another significant growth engine, adding 1.3 TWh in 2019 and 0.7 TWh in 2021. Hydropower continued to fluctuate, with increases in 2018 and 2020, declines in 2019 and 2021–2022, and a 0.9 TWh recovery in 2024. Together, these developments demonstrate the value of expanding several clean electricity sources to sustain stronger long-term growth.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade

* 12M = Last 12 months (May 2025 – Apr 2026) — a rolling 12-month period, not a calendar year.