Volcanic heat makes nearly 45% of the power Kenya generates

Generation in GWh from KNBS Table 35 'Electricity Generation by Source, 2021–2025'; 2025 is provisional. Shares are derived by progrss: each source's GWh divided by local generation (KNBS Table 36: 12,126.7 GWh in 2021, 13,343.9 GWh in 2025), i.e. imports from Uganda and Ethiopia (1,721.1 GWh in 2025, 11% of total supply) are excluded. The 2025 sources in Table 35 sum to 13,346.6 GWh, 2.7 GWh more than Table 36's local generation; using either total gives 44.8% for geothermal. Including imports, geothermal was 39.7% of total supply. Co-generation (0.0 GWh in 2025) not shown. 'Combined' and '+19%' are derived (3,462.3 + 1,949.1 = 5,411.4 GWh; 5,981.6 / 5,037.0 = 1.19). Hydro plus wind exceeded geothermal in 2021 (5,659.8 vs 5,037.0 GWh). Kenya's geothermal fields (Olkaria, Menengai) sit in the volcanic Rift Valley; 'volcanic heat' is a plain-words description of geothermal power. Kenya's energy regulator EPRA reports a similar 41.7% geothermal share of generation for the financial year 2023/24 (https://www.epra.go.ke/sites/default/files/2024-10/EPRA%20Energy%20and%20Petroleum%20Statistics%20Report%20FY%202023-2024_2.pdf).

Published 3 Nov 2026