NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 28 – Energy Cabinet Secretary (CS) Davis Chirchir has revealed that Kenya has imported 200 megawatts of renewable energy from Ethiopia, coming at a time when the country is looking to fully embrace clean sources of energy.
According to the CS, who hosted the 30th Eastern Africa Power Pool (EAPP) yesterday, the country is also engaging in energy exchange with Uganda.
He assured that these strategic initiatives will reinforce reliable energy supply in the country, which will in turn guarantee reduced power outage risks.
Kenya is among the leading countries globally that source 70 percent of its energy from clean sources such as geothermal, hydro, and wind, as well as solar.
“Kenya has already reaped the rewards of regional integration through bilateral frameworks, such as importing 200MW of renewable energy from Ethiopia and engaging in energy exchange with Uganda,” Chirchir said on his X page.
“These initiatives have ensured a reliable energy supply and reduced outage risks,” he added.
The CS also went on to say that more plans are in advanced stages to complete, commission, and operationalize the Kenya-Tanzania inter-connector and other lines such as the Egypt-Libya line, Egypt-Sudan, Ethiopia-Sudan, Ethiopia-Djibouti, and the Uganda-Rwanda lines that will ensure energy circulation in the region.
“Over the next few weeks as a follow-up to this week’s meetings, we will be looking to approve some proposed policies, plans, and budgets which we believe will help scale up the interconnectivity of the Eastern Africa grid going forward,” he stated.
The CS asserted that these partnerships among nations will mend the enormous power gap that is currently experienced in Africa.
“Almost 600 million of the 1.5 billion people in Africa do not have access to electricity, with a bigger number being served by unclean sources. This scenario calls for regional partnerships to address the dynamic energy landscape in Africa for the good of our citizens,” he stated.
