Highlights:
- Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta recent visit to Uganda was aimed and improving relations between the two East African countries with bilateral trade between the two countries was at the top of the agenda list.
- Kenya has been importing 95% of its power from Uganda with the remaining coming from Ethiopia
- Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda set to build a 400 kilovolt electricity line from Olkaria through Uganda to Birembo in Rwanda
- Energy Regulatory Commission in Kenya indicate that Kenya’s electricity import has dropped by more than half in the first half compared to same period last year.
Summary:
President Uhuru Kenyatta recent visit to Uganda was aimed and improving relations between the two East African countries with bilateral trade between them topping the agenda list.
Bilateral trade between the two countries was at the top of the agenda list with agreements signed to increase the amount of imports and exports and from either countries to each other.
Kenya’s main electricity imports have in the past come from Uganda a 95% portion of the total power imports and the rest coming from Ethiopia that feeds Moyale County. Kenya has been importing electricity from Uganda since the colonial era under an agreement that was later renegotiated in 1997.
Reports from Kenya’s Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) indicate that Kenya’s electricity imports have reduced by more than half in the first half of the year compared to same period last year. Kenya imported 29.97 million kilowatts-hours this year down from 57.91 million kilowatt-hours same period last year.
The recent power import cuts are attributed to the rigorous efforts put up to find alternative power sources other than hydro-power in Kenya and the injection of 280 megawatts of geothermal power into the national grid last year.
Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda are set to build a 400 kilovolt electricity line that will run from Olkaria in Kenya to Birembo in Rwanda through Uganda.
Kenya has a target of injecting an extra 5000 megawatts of electricity into the national grid that will facilitate the plan to increase the power consumers in Kenya from 2.8 million to 80 million in 5 years. This plan will increase the current 32% able to access power to 70% of the people having access to electricity.
Kenya’s government is exploring alternative power sources to reduce the overreliance on hydro-power that is affected by recent climate changes experienced globally. Additionally, the world is turning into alternative renewable energy sources and green energy.
