Energy Cabinet Secretary (CS), Davis Chirchir, on Saturday, March 18, disclosed a major factor that necessitated the increase in electricity prices in the last five years.
Speaking during the inspection of a geothermal power plant in Menengai, Chirchir explained that the country resorted to using diesel to boost power generation.
He pointed out that hydroelectric power generation, which was more affordable, had dropped by more than half within the period.
"Hydroelectricity has been fairly poor in the last five years, and whereas we are supposed to deliver 30 per cent of the power at USD4 cents, we have been delivering only 11 per cent.
"We have been supplementing the grid to provide power security using diesel generation and that is what has been hurting," the CS explained.
In the five years, the cost of diesel shot up both locally and internationally owing to changes in the market prices of scarce crude oil.
The high demand for fuel during the coronavirus pandemic and the Ukrainian-Russian conflict and sanctions led to an increase in barrel prices.
Chirchir stated that due to the country's ongoing, unpredictable weather patterns, there was a need to explore other power generation forms, such as geothermal.
The drop in water rainfall in the country raised concerns about a possible electricity shortage in the wake of multiple blackouts.
On February 26, Kenya Electricity Generation Company (KenGen) Ag. Managing Director Abraham Serem disclosed that Kenya was importing 200 megawatts of power from Ethiopia to meet the deficit.
In the meantime, Serem stated that solar, wind and geothermal power would supply the country with power during the day while hydro would be used at night.
The MD confirmed a partnership with the European Investment Bank (EIB) to expedite the production of green energy while slowing down the reliance on thermal electricity.
