KPLC: Kenyans' Electricity Consumption Pushes Demand to Record Highs in 2025
- Kenya’s electricity demand reached a historic peak of 2,362 megawatts (MW) in July 2025, surpassing the previous record of 2,316 MW set in February
- KPLC reported the number of new customers to the national grid during the financial year ending June 30, 2025
- Kenya Power plans to install 45 electric vehicle charging stations across six counties to promote e-mobility adoption
Elijah Ntongai, an editor at TUKO.co.ke, has over four years of financial, business, and technology research and reporting experience, providing insights into Kenyan, African, and global trends.
Kenya’s electricity consumption hit a historic peak as demand surged to an all-time high of 2,362 megawatts (MW) in July.
Source: Twitter
According to Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC), the high consumption has been driven by increased customer connections and higher power usage during the ongoing cold season.
What is the highest electricity demand in Kenya?
According to data from the company’s National Control Centre, peak demand was recorded twice in July, first hitting 2,325 MW on July 2 before climbing to a record 2,362.28 MW on July 23.
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This surpassed the previous high of 2,316 MW logged in February 2025.
Peak demand represents the highest electricity usage recorded at a given time across the country.
Kenya Power Managing Director and CEO, Joseph Siror, attributed the surge to expanded electricity access and growing reliance on grid power.
“The new peak demand is a testament to our commitment to drive national electricity access through the deployment of various electrification projects. When we look at our electricity dispatch figures, we realise that electricity demand has increased by 46 MW in the last five months since February, when we had the first peak demand this year. We expect the momentum to continue as we roll out more connectivity projects across the country,” Siror said in a statement seen by TUKO.co.ke.
How many customers were connected to the KPLC grid?
During the financial year that ended on June 30, 2025, the utility provider connected 401,848 new customers.
Kenya Power is currently implementing last-mile connectivity initiatives nationwide, targeting residential, commercial, and industrial consumers.
The company anticipates that connecting new clients, combined with efforts to promote electric mobility and clean cooking, will push demand even higher.
Beyond new connections, the company cited the cold weather as a key factor behind rising demand, as households and businesses increasingly turn to electric heating.
KPLC enhances new technologies
To support the adoption of electric vehicles, Kenya Power plans to install 45 charging stations across six counties in the current financial year.
Source: Twitter
Additionally, four E-cooking hubs have been established in Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, and Kisumu to demonstrate the benefits of modern electrical cooking appliances, with similar initiatives being rolled out in institutions such as schools and hotels.
Siror reaffirmed the company’s commitment to expanding electricity access and fostering sustainable energy use.
“As we enhance our network and promote new technologies like e-mobility and e-cooking, we foresee even greater electricity consumption nationwide,” he said.
Cabinet approves last-mile connections
In other news, President William Ruto chaired a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, July 29, where the government approved the implementation of Phase III of the Last Mile Connectivity Project (LMCP).
The government is targeting 180,500 new electricity connections for households, schools, health facilities, and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in remote areas.
The project is funded in partnership with the Canada-AfDB Climate Fund and the African Development Bank, and it is expected to be completed within 24 months.
It will also include system reinforcements across 45 counties, upgrading overloaded substations, constructing seven new 33 kV switching stations, and improving three existing 33/11 kV substations.
Since its launch in 2015, LMCP has connected 746,867 customers, and this latest phase is projected to increase Kenya’s national electricity access rate from 77% to 83% by the end of 2025.
Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
