Kenya is on track to achieve universal electricity access by 2030, as ambitious implementation plans and electrification using clean energy technologies position the country as an economic and energy development leader across the region, according to the IEA's new Energy Policy Review of the country.
With a sustained focus on electrification, electricity access rates in Kenya rose from 37% in 2013 to 79% in 2023, with urban areas already achieving full access, the report notes. The Last Mile Connectivity Project (LMCP), launched in 2015, has played a pivotal role in bringing electricity to 9 million people in rural areas and reducing the number of people without access by nearly half in just under a decade. Ongoing initiatives aim to connect an additional 280,000 households across the country by the end of 2025.
The report highlights Kenya's leadership in off-grid solar adoption, with the country accounting for nearly three-quarters of all solar home system sales in East Africa in 2023. These off-grid solutions, particularly in remote and underserved communities, have become a key part of Kenya's electrification strategy. Currently, one in five Kenyan households uses solar-powered mini-grids or standalone systems.
"Kenya is showing how the strategic deployment of clean energy technologies and electrification in end-use sectors can significantly improve the lives of millions of the most vulnerable people in the world," said IEA Deputy Executive Director Mary Burce Warlick, who is launching the report in Nairobi today alongside Kenya's Minister of Energy and Petroleum J. Opiyo Wandayi.
The report coincides with the Kenyan government's review of its own National Energy Policy. The IEA was part of the stakeholder consultations from the beginning of the national review, providing inputs and recommendations throughout the process.
The Draft National Energy Policy (NEP) 2025-2034 was presented by Minister Wandayi to key stakeholders earlier in the day, and showed that the recommendations from the IEA Energy Policy Review had been considered in the development of the updated NEP.
"The collaboration with the IEA came at a particularly important moment for Kenya, as we have been undertaking a comprehensive review of our own National Energy Policy. The IEA's report offers timely insights that have helped inform our own policy decisions", said Minister Wandayi at the launch of the IEA's Energy Policy Review.
Low-emissions technologies are the cornerstone of Kenya's electricity mix, with geothermal, hydro, wind and solar sources accounting for nearly 90% of power generation. Kenya is also home to the Lake Turkana Wind Project, the largest wind farm on the African continent, and has some of the lowest cost geothermal projects in the world. Geothermal accounts for almost one-third of the country's total electricity generation capacity.
Kenya has significantly improved access to clean cooking solutions over the past decade, with an access rate of 10% in 2013 to over 30% in 2023. Despite this progress, millions of households across Kenya - mainly in rural areas - still rely on polluting fuels such as firewood, charcoal and kerosene. The newly launched Kenya National Cooking Transition Strategy (KNCTS) outlines a clear roadmap to achieve universal access to clean cooking by 2028. The IEA report highlights the importance of integrating clean cooking into broader energy planning and ensuring stable supply chains for fuels and technologies as a means of overcoming the most stubborn barriers to uptake, which include fuel price volatility and the high cost of improved cookstoves relative to household budgets.
The report also underscores Kenya's efforts to modernise and expand its electricity grid. New regulations introduced in 2024 open transmission and distribution networks to private investment, aiming to increase competition, reduce costs and improve efficiency. Kenya's power networks, however, still face high losses - estimated at 23% in 2023 - due to technical issues, theft, and billing problems. Smart grid solutions and better management systems are under consideration to address these losses, the report notes.
While challenges remain in areas such as affordability and regulatory coordination, the IEA concludes that Kenya is well positioned to meet its long-term energy and development goals. With strong policy frameworks, a skilled workforce and a high renewable energy potential, Kenya is paving the way toward a more inclusive, sustainable and secure energy future.
The IEA regularly conducts reviews of energy and climate related policies and provides recommendations - a process that supports energy policy development and encourages the exchange of international best practices and experiences.
