Barely 100,000 new customers got electricity in 2020
The government connected 93,687 new customers to power under the rural electrification programme last year representing a 6.6 per cent increase from 2019.
This year’s Economic Survey report shows new customers from domestic and small commercial categories stood at 1,502,943 at the end of 2020.
In the period under focus, the revenue realized from the provision of electricity declined by 6.5 per cent to Kes10.1 billion last year.
Data shows that Kenya’s total electricity generation declined by 17.1 Gigawatt hours (GWh) to 11,603.6GWh in 2020.
Further, thermal electricity generation decreased the most by 42.5 per cent to 754.5GWh due to huge reduction in generation by KenGen experienced in the pandemic year.
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Wind electricity generation dropped by 14.8 per cent to 1,331.4GWh while geothermal power production contracted by 3.3 per cent to 5,059.8GWh.
However, hydro electricity generation increased by 32.1 per cent to 4,232.7GWh on account of favourable rainfall a factor that also saw electricity imports go down by 35.5 per cent to 136.7GWh.
In the period, total domestic demand for electricity declined by 57.6GWh to 8,796.4GWh.
Additionally, the demand for electricity registered growth in all segments of the economy except in the commercial and industrial category whose demand tanked by 3.6 per cent to 4,281GWh reflecting muted activity in the sector in the wake of Covid-19.
Across Kenya, demand for street lighting and rural electrification surged by 16.7 per cent and 7.5 per cent to 74.5GWh and 611.9GWh, respectively.
Similarly, demand for electricity in domestic and small commercial category increased by 49GWh to 3,829.1GWh owing to the working from home measures meant to check spread of the virus.
Last year, electricity imports declined by 35.5 per cent to 136.7GWh while exports went up by 2.1 per cent to 16.5GWh.
