Kenya has formalised a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) worth USD 311 million (KSh 40.4 billion) to bolster its national power grid.
The signing was led by Cabinet Secretary for National Treasury and Economic Planning John Mbadi alongside Africa50 and India’s PowerGrid.
Speaking at the event, Mbadi explained how the deal advances Kenya’s energy reforms amid a global shift toward renewables.
“This project reinforces a transmission backbone essential for economic expansion, regional growth, and national resilience,” he said, highlighting the government’s strategy to attract private capital without straining public finances.
The agreement covers two key transmission corridors:
- 400 kV Lessos–Loosuk line: Spanning Samburu, Baringo, Nandi, and Elgeyo Marakwet counties, with substations at Loosuk and Lessos. It provides an alternative route for evacuating wind power from Lake Turkana, sections the 430-km Loiyangalani–Suswa line for stability, creates a reinforced 400 kV grid loop, and enables geothermal evacuation from the Baringo–Paka–Silali zone.
- 220 kV Kibos–Kakamega–Musaga line: Serving Kisumu, Vihiga, and Kakamega counties, with substations at Kibos, Kakamega, and Musaga. It introduces high-voltage supply to Kakamega, boosts regional network capacity, cuts technical losses, and reduces load shedding in Western Kenya.
The project underwent rigorous scrutiny under the PPP Act 2021, starting as a privately initiated proposal, gaining PPP Committee approval on July 24, 2025, KETRACO Board endorsement on August 7, Attorney General clearance on September 10, and final signing on December 15.