Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) has reported a surge in energy demand in Kenya, underling sustained economic activity and the positive impact of regulatory reforms in the sector.

According to the Biannual Energy & Petroleum Statistics Report (July-December 2025) released on March 27, 2026, electricity demand increased by 8.25 percent, while demand for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) rose by 14.59 percent and petroleum products by 8.38 percent during the period under review.

The report also shows that energy consumers benefited significantly from regulatory frameworks, particularly the time-of-use (ToU) tariff system. Importantly, beneficiaries saved Ksh971 million by taking advantage of a 50 per cent discount on electricity used during off-peak hours- between 10 pm and 6 am.

EPRA Director General Daniel Kiptoo Bargoria described the findings as an encouraging indication of growing public confidence in the energy sector.

“The energy and petroleum uptake results from the July-December 2025 reporting are encouraging because they indicate support from Kenyans on the sector. They also point to opportunities that should be taken up to make a more sustainable growth,” the DG explained in a press statement.

He further revealed that the country recorded a new peak electricity demand of 2,439.06 megawatts on December 3, 2025, reflecting expanding consumption across households, businesses and industries.

Notably, the report also highlights rapid expansion in emerging energy technologies. The electric mobility sub-sector grew by 152.49 per cent, signalling increased adoption of electric vehicles and related infrastructure.

To support the transition to cleaner energy, the statement further read, the government gazetted the energy (solar water heating) regulations, 2025 and the energy (biofuels) regulations, 2025.

In this regard, the new regulations aim to accelerate adoption and standardization of solar water heating systems while providing a framework for the sustainable production and use of biofuels to diversify clean energy sources and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

On the other hand, the statistics further show that 182,195 new connections were added to the national electricity grid, bringing the total number of connections to 10,216,952 as at the end of December 2025.

In addition, renewable energy continued to dominate Kenya’s electricity generation mix as installed capacity from renewable sources reached 2,957 MW, accounting for 80.60 percent of the country’s total installed capacity.

Similarly, 78.79 per cent of the energy supplied to the national grid during the review period came from renewable sources, underlining Kenya’s position as a regional leader in green energy.

Electricity generation also recorded notable growth with total electrical energy generated rising by 8.25 per cent to 7,807.07 gigawatts per hour, up from 7,211.36 gigawatts per hour in the previous period.

Likewise, the report indicates that solar photovoltaic systems contribute the largest share to the country’s captive generation capacity at 326.7 megawatts while electricity generation from bioenergy stands at 163.8 megawatts.

In the petroleum sector, regulatory and operational developments also shaped industry performance.

Additionally, eight key petroleum regulations were gazetted to strengthen governance and oversight in the industry.

During the reporting period, 5,601,693.79 cubic metres (m³) of petroleum products were imported for local consumption and export to neighbouring countries, reflecting steady demand within the region.

Meanwhile, LPG consumption rose significantly by 14.59 per cent to 251,425 tonnes, up from 224,517 tonnes as more households to shift to cleaner cooking fuels.

Ultimately, Bargoria observed that the trends highlighted in the report demonstrate the role of sound regulations in supporting sector growth and sustainability. He observed that continued investments, regulatory reforms and adoption of clean technologies would be critical in meeting Kenya’s rising energy demand while ensuring efficiency and environmental sustainability.

The latest EPRA statistics therefore paint a picture of a steadily expanding energy sector, driven by strong demand, regulatory support and growing uptake of renewable and clean energy solutions across the country.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Nicholas Ochieng