NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 11 — The government is turning to public-private partnerships (PPPs) to expand Kenya’s electricity generation capacity to 10,000 megawatts (MW) by 2032.
The government will also execute similar PPPs in infrastructure, and irrigation projects.
President William Ruto said the partnerships will play a key role in scaling up investment in power generation and modern infrastructure to support industrial growth and food security.
“Our talks focused on deepening investment partnerships in infrastructure and energy, including projects to expand Kenya’s energy generation capacity to 10,000 megawatts in the next seven years,” Ruto said after meeting a United Arab Emirates (UAE) delegation in Nairobi on Monday.
“We are committed to strengthening our bilateral relations with the UAE through enhanced trade, investment, and economic cooperation under the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), unlocking opportunities for growth, job creation, and shared prosperity.”
The President said the initiative will include the development of 50 mega dams under PPP arrangements to boost irrigation and food production.
His statement follows remarks made during his visit to Qatar, where he cited Kenya’s limited power supply as a major constraint to attracting foreign direct investment, including the establishment of data centers that require at least 10,000 MW of reliable electricity.
Kenya’s installed capacity currently stands at 3,192 MW, according to data from the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA).
However, system losses in transmission and distribution averaged 23.36 per cent in the year to June 2025, meaning nearly one in four units generated never reaches consumers.
The figures underscore the scale of the challenge ahead, as the country must not only triple its generation capacity but also cut losses significantly to meet future demand.
The government says its pivot to PPPs aims to mobilize private capital for new power plants and infrastructure while modernizing the national transmission grid to improve efficiency and reliability.
In November 2024, the administration had signaled plans to explore alternative financing for the country’s aging power network following the cancellation of a Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (KETRACO) deal with Indian-based conglomerate Adani Solutions.
