Country snapshot · East Africa

Kenya

Export rules: YesData as of 10 October 2026
575.9MW
Solar added in 2026 (Ember estimate, all segments)1N1,N2
+50%
Change on 20251
2025: 384.6 MW (Ember estimate)
77.0%
Access to electricity, 20242N3
12.98million
People without electricity, 2024 (DERCA calculation)2N3

Solar added each year

Ember estimates of all solar (utility-scale, distributed and off-grid), MW. 2026 is Ember’s full-year estimate.

Kenya: solar added per year, 2023–2026, MW (Ember estimates)2023: 185.5 MW; 2024: 243.7 MW; 2025: 384.6 MW; 2026 estimate: 575.9 MW185.52023243.72024384.62025575.92026E
Kenya: solar added per year, 2023–2026, MW (Ember estimates)2023: 185.5 MW; 2024: 243.7 MW; 2025: 384.6 MW; 2026 estimate: 575.9 MW185.52023243.72024384.62025575.92026E
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Solar added per year, MW
YearMWBasis
2023185.5Ember estimate
2024243.7Ember estimate
2025384.6Ember estimate
2026E575.9Ember estimate, full year

3.3% of Africa’s estimated 2026 solar additions (575.9 of 17,449.4 MW).1

Who has electricity

Share of people with access to electricity, 2024: rural and urban.

Kenya: access to electricity, rural vs urban, 2024Rural 67.1%, urban 98.1%, national 77.0%.National 77.0%Rural 67.1%Urban 98.1%0%25%50%75%100%
Kenya: access to electricity, rural vs urban, 2024Rural 67.1%, urban 98.1%, national 77.0%.National 77.0%Rural 67.1%Urban 98.1%0%50%100%
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Access to electricity, 2024
AreaAccessYear
Rural67.1%2024
Urban98.1%2024
National77.0%2024
Rural 67.1%Urban 98.1%Without electricity 12.98m (DERCA calculation)

World Bank WDI, 2024.2

How reliable is the grid for business?

Firms experiencing electrical outages (2025 survey), compared with Sub-Saharan Africa and the world.3,4N4

Kenya: share of firms experiencing electrical outagesKenya 74.6% (2025 survey); Sub-Saharan Africa 72.4%; World 47.5% (2025).Kenya (2025)74.6%Sub-Saharan Africa72.4%World47.5%
Kenya: share of firms experiencing electrical outagesKenya 74.6% (2025 survey); Sub-Saharan Africa 72.4%; World 47.5% (2025).Kenya (2025)74.6%Sub-SaharanAfrica72.4%World47.5%

74.6% (2025 survey) · Sub-Saharan Africa 72.4% · World 47.5% (2025)

The rules for small-scale generationN5

Export rules: Yes4–10

Regulator
EPRA
Main utility
Kenya Power (KPLC)
CrossBoundary Energy regulatory stage5N6
Stage 1
Stage 0
Centralised controlStage 1
Cautious co-existenceStage 2
Directed benefitsStage 3
Early market management
Export rulesNet-Metering Regulations 2024Show detail

Net-Metering Regulations 2024

Report data register: C29-C40
How exports are credited50% kWh credit; forfeited annuallyShow detail

50% kWh credit; forfeited annually

Report data register: C29-C40
Size limits and licensing4/10 kW homes; <1 MW; 100 MW national capShow detail

4/10 kW homes; <1 MW; 100 MW national cap

Report data register: C29-C40
Mini-grid rulesNot reviewed in this edition.Show detail

Not reviewed in this edition.

Report data register: C29-C40;C29-C38
Market access beyond the utilityOpen access regs 2024 (>=1 MVA), status unclearShow detail

Open access regs 2024 (>=1 MVA), status unclear

Report data register: C29-C40
Aggregation / VPP rulesNone foundShow detail

None found

Report data register: C29-C40

“None found” means we could not locate a rule in public sources reviewed to 10 October 2026, not that one cannot exist.

Recent developments

Dated developments, 2024–2026.

  1. Sep 2026

    Reported: unapproved grid injection billed at the base tariff, retroactive to 1 Jul 2025.7

  2. Jul 2024

    Energy (Net-Metering) Regulations 2024 gazetted.8

The full report

This is a snapshot. The full story is in Africa’s Invisible Grid.

The full analysis, with 17 exhibits on the boom, the data gap, the economics and the four building blocks, is in Africa’s Invisible Grid.

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