Kenya power demand hits record

NAIROBI – A buoyant economy and cooler weather boosted Kenya’s electricity demand to a record high of 930 megawatts last week, highlighting the need to speed up the completion of power projects, officials said.

“This is the highest level of electricity usage the country has ever experienced,” the Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) Managing Director Eddy Njoroge told reporters late on Wednesday. KenGen produces 80 per cent of Kenya’s total electricity capacity of about 1 060 MW.The company said the demand surge leaves Kenya in a precarious position.”The current demand leaves a reserve margin of barely 100 MW of the installed capacity.This is far below the recommended 15 per cent (reserve) to allow for any plant outage,” Njoroge said.However, an emergency diesel plant contracted early this year, following a severe drought that threatened to deplete water levels in key dams, provides a backup capacity of 140 MW.But good rains during the main March-May season means Kenya does not require expensive power produced by the emergency generators and the government is hoping to sell some to Uganda, which has electricity shortages.Kenya’s economic growth has been on an upward trend since President Mwai Kibaki took office in late 2002, ending the 24-year rule of former leader Daniel arap Moi which was characterised by rampant corruption and economic decline.The economy is estimated to have expanded by 5,8 per cent last year compared with a paltry 0,4 per cent in 2002.Nampa-ReutersKenGen produces 80 per cent of Kenya’s total electricity capacity of about 1 060 MW.The company said the demand surge leaves Kenya in a precarious position.”The current demand leaves a reserve margin of barely 100 MW of the installed capacity.This is far below the recommended 15 per cent (reserve) to allow for any plant outage,” Njoroge said.However, an emergency diesel plant contracted early this year, following a severe drought that threatened to deplete water levels in key dams, provides a backup capacity of 140 MW.But good rains during the main March-May season means Kenya does not require expensive power produced by the emergency generators and the government is hoping to sell some to Uganda, which has electricity shortages.Kenya’s economic growth has been on an upward trend since President Mwai Kibaki took office in late 2002, ending the 24-year rule of former leader Daniel arap Moi which was characterised by rampant corruption and economic decline.The economy is estimated to have expanded by 5,8 per cent last year compared with a paltry 0,4 per cent in 2002.Nampa-Reuters