In recent developments, Kenya witnessed a new high in electricity demand, hitting 2,177.13 Megawatts in a month, indicating a surge in economic activities and increased power consumption by households, according to official data from the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (Epra). This noteworthy peak in electricity demand occurred on February 24, coinciding with a period when the local generation of electricity dipped to its second-lowest level in at least eight months, standing at 1,110.44 Gigawatt hours (GWh).
The rise in demand for electricity signals a continual uptick in economic activities and household consumption, presenting a significant boost to Kenya Power. However, this heightened demand for electricity came at a time when local generation of power in Kenya experienced a decline, recording only 1,110.44 GWh, marking it as the second lowest output after December's 1,109.52 GWh. Furthermore, data suggests that the peak demand for electricity in Kenya typically occurs between 7.30 pm and 8 pm for most regions, while in the coastal areas, the peak is observed between 8 pm and 8.30 pm.
The local surge in power demand prompts Kenya to rely more on electricity imports from neighbouring countries like Ethiopia and Uganda to prevent power rationing and avoid turning to expensive and environmentally harmful thermal generators. The increase in imports is evident from the record-high electricity import of 142.25 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) in January, representing a 2.55 percent rise from the previous month. The data showcases that a significant portion of these imports, around 85.7 percent equivalent to 121.96 million units, came from Ethiopia, with the remainder sourced from Uganda.
As Kenya grapples with the discrepancy between rising demand and declining local generation, the need for electricity imports becomes more pronounced to bridge the supply gap. Notably, electricity distributor Kenya Power witnessed a surge in sales, with 881.37 million units sold in January, marking a 6.4 percent increase from the previous month. This uptick in demand exceeds the growth rate of local generation, necessitating higher electricity imports from neighbouring countries to offset the shortfall and meet the escalating consumer needs.