Kenya: Nairobi Accounts for Nearly Half of Kenya's Electricity Consumption

What the report says

Nairobi accounted for the largest share of Kenya’s electricity use in the year ended June 2026, according to data from the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) cited by Capital FM and distributed by AllAfrica. The report says the Nairobi region, which includes Nairobi, Kiambu, Kajiado, Machakos and Makueni counties, consumed 5,465.36 gigawatt hours, or 43.92% of national electricity demand.

EPRA linked the high usage to the region’s dense population and strong concentration of industrial activity. The article says consumption in Nairobi rose by 10.09% from the previous year, an increase of 501.02 GWh. It also notes that electricity demand increased in all regions during the period reviewed.

Outside Nairobi, the Coastal Region ranked second at 2,087.62 GWh, or 17.74% of national use, followed by the North Eastern Region at 1,411.66 GWh. The Central Rift accounted for 9.45% of national consumption, while Mt Kenya and Western also recorded notable shares. South Nyanza had the lowest total consumption at 260.12 GWh, but it posted the fastest year-on-year growth among the regions.

The figures matter because they highlight where Kenya’s power demand is concentrated, which can shape planning for generation, transmission and distribution. More broadly, such regional consumption patterns often reflect differences in urbanization, industry and access to electricity infrastructure.