Kenya’s wind farms delivered a 46% jump in output that helped steady the country’s power grid in June, even as overall electricity generation slipped by 3.8%.
- •Wind turbines fed 161 million kWh into the system in June, up from 109.4 million the month before, according to the latest data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS).
- •Electricity generated by wind in the first half of this year rose by 13% to 935.67 million kWh compared to the same period last year.
- •The surge came as geothermal plants, normally the country’s anchor, scaled back to 499 million kWh from 500 million kWh, dragging total generation down to 1,077 million kWh.
Kenya’s largest wind farm is the 310 MW Lake Turkana Wind Power (LTWP) project which dwarfs other operating wind installations in the country. Located in Marsabit County and comprising 365 turbines, LTWP remains Africa’s largest wind farm and accounts for around 15–17% of Kenya’s installed power capacity.
In comparison, the Kipeto Wind Power Station in Kajiado County contributes about 100 MW, making it the second-largest facility operating in Kenya. The Ngong Hills Wind Farm, near Nairobi, is a much smaller project expanded to 25.5 MW in 2015.
Hydro dams also saw a modest decline in electricity generation, falling to 287.08 million kWh from 339 million kWh, while thermal diesel plants eased generation by 28% back to 94.53 million kWh.
Electricity imports rose by 2.5%, with Ethiopia‘s share increasing to 113 million kWh offsetting the fall of electricity imports from Uganda and Tanzania. Meanwhile, electricity sold by Kenya Power rose by 5% with exports to neighbouring countries soaring to 10 million kWh.
Record-Breaking Demand
The slight drop in total power generation comes against the backdrop of record-breaking demand on Kenya’s grid. In July, peak electricity consumption hit 2,362 MW, the highest level ever recorded, underscoring the country’s accelerating industrialization and the growing weight of household use.
That milestone, up from 1,466 MW in 2014, represents an average annual growth rate of 4.4% and reflects both rising urban populations and broader access to the grid.
Even with demand climbing, Kenya avoided load shedding during the record peak, thanks in part to its diversified renewable base. Geothermal and hydropower together still shoulder the bulk of daily supply, but the seasonal surge in wind highlights its growing role as a stabilizer in the system.
With electrification rates leaping from 32% in 2013 to 84% a decade later, and a government target of universal access by 2030, the strain on generation capacity will only deepen, making such swings in wind output more consequential.
Meeting that demand requires not just more generation but also stronger transmission. Kenya’s installed capacity now stands at 3,321 MW, nearly double what it was ten years ago, yet losses on the grid remain high at about 16% due to aging infrastructure.
Planned investments, including 6,500 km of new transmission lines by 2042 and upgrades at flagship geothermal sites like Olkaria, are meant to close those gaps. At the same time, Kenya is part of the power-sharing corridor that connects Ethiopia to Tanzania through Kenya, forming one of the region’s most strategic transmission paths.
