Western Kenya remains the lowest consumer of electricity in the country, according to the latest Energy and Petroleum Statistics report for the financial year ending June 30, 2024.
The report published in October this year shows that both Western Kenya and South Nyanza reported the lowest energy consumption figures, with Western Kenya accounting for 5.3 percent and South Nyanza for just 1.92 percent of the total energy consumed during the 2023/2024 financial year.
Nairobi led the country in electricity consumption, using 43.7 percent of the total energy, equivalent to 4,571.78 gigawatt-hours (GWh).
The capital region, which includes Kiambu, Machakos, and Makueni counties, is home to a large concentration of industries and small to medium enterprises, driving its high energy use.
The Coast region followed with 18.3 percent of the national energy consumption.
“The Coast region ranked second in energy consumption, utilizing 1,916.68 GWh, which constituted 18.3 percent of the country’s total energy consumption,” the report reads.
The Rift region ranked third, accounting for 13.67 percent of the total, with 1,431.23 GWh consumed.
North-Eastern and Mt. Kenya regions contributed 10.7 percent and 6.5 percent, respectively, to the overall energy consumption.
During the review period, the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (KETRACO) commissioned two new transmission lines: the 94-kilometer Isinya-Namanga 132kV line and the 68-kilometer Turkwel-Ortum 220kV line.
These additions brought a total of 162 kilometers to the national transmission network, with the Turkwel-Ortum line forming part of the larger Turkwel-Ortum-Kitale 220kV project.
The report also highlighted concerns about system losses, which include both technical and commercial losses. Total system losses amounted to 23.47 percent of the energy purchased, exceeding the 18.5% benchmark set by the regulatory authority for the 2023/2024 financial year.
The financial impact of these losses is absorbed by the utility company, Kenya Power.
