KPLC Managing Director & CEO Joseph Siror (left) with Acting General Manager, Infrastructure Development Kennedy Owino, and Acting General Manager, Network Management David Syengo during the State of the Grid press briefing on August 11, 2026/KPLCKenya Power has called for a careful balance in the integration of variable renewable energy (VRE) sources into the national grid, warning that rapid growth in wind and solar generation could affect grid stability and increase the cost of electricity.
The utility said the intermittent nature of wind and solar power makes it difficult to maintain consistent frequency and voltage, particularly when their output suddenly rises or falls.
VRE sources currently account for 34 per cent of the energy mix during peak daytime demand of about 1,900MW, rising to 36 per cent during low-load demand of about 1,200MW.
Kenya Power said the high share exposes the national grid to vulnerabilities whenever wind and solar generation fluctuates, forcing the utility to bring additional generation sources online to cushion the changes.
The company urged policymakers to prioritise grid stability and consider the additional costs required to support variable generation when approving new power projects.
Kenya Power Managing Director Joseph Siror said global benchmarks point to a VRE limit of about 15 per cent of a grid’s total firm capacity.
“Our current system under the take-or-pay model of power purchase has led to an increase in VREs to over 20 per cent against a recommended average of 15 per cent,” Siror said.
“Given the intermittent nature of wind and solar, we have no option but to dispatch and pay for generators, increasing the overall cost of power,” he added.
Kenya Power said it currently dispatches additional generation plants at extra cost when wind and solar output suddenly dips, a measure necessary to prevent grid instability but which ultimately increases the cost passed on to consumers.
Siror said battery storage could help address the intermittency challenge but would not entirely eliminate the problem, particularly when renewable generation falls.
“The true cost of VREs is its own cost and the additional power that we pay for to stabilise the grid,” he said.
He said greater investment in geothermal and hydroelectric generation would provide more stable power and strengthen the grid’s ability to recover when intermittent sources are unavailable.
Kenya has the highest dependence on VREs in the Eastern Africa Power Pool, with Kenya’s share significantly higher than that of Egypt at 10.4 per cent, Ethiopia at 5.3 per cent, Uganda at four per cent and Tanzania at 1.2 per cent.
Kenya Power said geothermal, hydro, electricity imports and thermal generation currently account for about 80 per cent of the country’s energy mix, providing a relatively stable baseload.
The company has recommended increasing baseload capacity through projects including Olkaria 1 Unit 6 (61MW), Olkaria 7 (80MW), Globeleq Menengai (35MW), Orpower 22 Menengai (35MW), Ethiopia imports (200MW), Paka-Silali (100MW) and Nabuyole (28MW).
Raising the Masinga Dam water level by 1.5 metres is also expected to increase generation by 83GWh annually.
Other projects in the pipeline include a proposed 300MW LNG power plant, the 700MW High Grand Falls project and the 90MW Karura Falls project.
