Kenya's power firm worries about solar energy adoption

By Richard Kagoe

Kenya's main electricity supplier KPLC has sparked a huge talking point across the East African nation not because of the perennial power outages, but because, according to a local newspaper report, the company is blaming the increased adoption of alternative sources of energy such as solar for its financial woes.

Many homeowners, industries and regional governments are now switching off KPLC because of two reasons: high power bills and irregular supply.

KPLC has been a trending topic on Twitter with many people questioning how a company that enjoys a monopoly would post a $300m (£225m) loss in the financial year that ended in June.

The firm recently applied to the energy regulator for an increase in tariffs by up to a fifth to enable it to return to profitability, but the state has halted a review.

Kenya embarked on an ambitious energy programme in 2013 that saw it invest significantly in thermal and wind energy to supplement hydropower.

A nationwide electrification initiative seems not to have paid off as uptake remains flat and the Covid-19 pandemic has not made things any better.

The power distributor finds itself in an awkward position - stuck with idle power and unable to sell, according to the latest figures from the energy regulator.

This article was originally published by BBC News. [Photo: AFP]