Kenya Power has called for a careful balance in the expansion of variable renewable energy (VRE) sources, warning that the growing contribution of wind and solar power could pose risks to the stability and reliability of the national electricity grid.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, the utility said the intermittent nature of wind and solar generation affects the frequency and voltage of electricity supplied to consumers. Kenya Power said VRE sources currently account for 34 per cent of the energy mix during peak daytime demand of 1,900 megawatts, rising to 36 per cent when demand falls to about 1,200MW.
The company warned that sudden increases or decreases in wind and solar generation can expose the national grid to vulnerability, requiring other power sources to be brought online to compensate for fluctuations.
It called for grid stability to be prioritised when additional generation capacity is introduced, noting that the costs associated with supporting variable sources must also be considered to protect consumers from higher electricity costs and potential outages.
Kenya Power Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Dr (Eng.) Joseph Siror said global benchmarks indicate that VRE should account for 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% against a recommended average of 15%,” Siror said.
He explained that because wind and solar generation can fluctuate, Kenya Power is sometimes required to dispatch and pay for additional generators to maintain grid stability.
“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,” Siror said.
The utility said it currently dispatches additional generation plants at extra cost when VRE production suddenly falls or rises, a measure intended to prevent grid instability but which ultimately adds to the cost borne by consumers.
Siror said battery storage could help manage the variability of renewable energy, although he noted that storage systems would also face challenges when wind and solar production declines.
“The true cost of VREs is its own cost and the additional power that we pay for to stabilise the grid,” he said.
He advocated for greater investment in geothermal and hydroelectric power, saying the two sources provide more stable generation and can help the grid recover when intermittent renewable sources are unavailable.
Kenya Power said the country has the highest dependence on VREs in the Eastern Africa Power Pool, with Kenya at more than 20 per cent compared with Egypt at 10.4 per cent, Ethiopia at 5.3 per cent, Uganda at four per cent and Tanzania at 1.2 per cent.
The company said geothermal, hydro, power imports and thermal generation currently account for 80 per cent of Kenya’s energy mix, and recommended increasing baseload generation to strengthen grid stability.
Among the planned baseload additions are new geothermal projects at Olkaria and Menengai, a 200MW power import from Ethiopia, the 100MW Paka Silali project and the 28MW Nabuyole project. Kenya Power also said raising the Masinga Dam level by 1.5 metres is expected to increase annual generation by 83GWh.