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The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) has outlined plans to address the increased power blackout reported across the country.
EPRA proposed the introduction of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) in Kenya as part of measures to reduce the impact of power blackouts and strengthen grid stability.
This announcement followed the release of its 2024/2025 performance review on electricity reliability.
“The duration of each interruption steadily reduced between 2020 and 3033 before increasing gradually in the period leading to 2025,” read part of the EPRA report.
New Solutions on the Way-EPRA
To address the recurring problem, EPRA is implementing infrastructure upgrades and technology-driven solutions.
The Authority has prioritised construction of new high-voltage substations at Mariakani and Konza, alongside transmission line projects such as the Nanyuki–Isiolo and Sondu–Ndhiwa lines, aimed at improving system flexibility and reducing losses.
“Several upcoming projects are underway to strengthen the grid, expand access, and improve reliability,” EPRA noted in the report.
Additionally, the regulator is relying on Battery Energy Storage Systems to mitigate fluctuations in the electricity supply.
The systems will allow excess power generated during off-peak hours to be stored and later released during peak demand periods, particularly between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m., when load shedding has been most common.
“By adopting storage technology, Kenya will be able to reduce peak-hour load shedding, cut down on energy wastage, and stabilise supply from renewable energy sources,” the report stated.
Longer Outages Reported
According to the report, the average duration of power interruptions rose to 2.57 hours per incident, up from 2.53 hours in the previous year.
This figure exceeded EPRA’s own target of 2.45 hours and the regional benchmark of 1.36 hours.
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“The annual performance was higher than the EPRA threshold and the regional benchmark. This was the first time in the last four years that the performance exceeded the Authority’s target,” the report stated.
The highest outage duration was recorded in June 2025 at nearly three hours, while the lowest was noted in October 2024 at 2.42 hours.
EPRA observed that interruption durations had been falling between 2020 and 2022 but have since gradually increased.
Mixed Trends in Reliability
Despite longer individual outages, the overall average outage per customer improved.
The System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI) dropped from 10.14 hours in the previous year to 9.42 hours in the review period.
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“This marked an improvement from the previous year, though the performance remained above the prescribed thresholds and regional benchmarks,” the report observed.
The frequency of outages, measured by the System Average Interruption Frequency Index (SAIFI), also showed progress.
Customers experienced 3.57 outages per month, down from 3.96 outages in the previous year.
EPRA described this as the first annual reduction in five years, though it remained well above the benchmark of 1.63 outages per month.
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