Kenyan court clears path for Dangote refinery project
A Kenyan court has lifted restrictions on the proposed Dangote refinery, allowing the $16 billion project to move forward.
Kenya
Kenya is a lower-middle-income economy in Sub-Saharan Africa, with its capital at Nairobi. 77.0% of its people had electricity in 2024.
- Electricity access
- 77.0%
- 2024, world 91.9%
- Renewable electricity
- 78.1%
- 2021, world 27.8%
- CO₂ per person
- 0.38 t
- 2024, world 4.69 t
- Consumption per person
- 195 kWh
- 2024, world 3,708 kWh
- Clean cooking
- 32.0%
- 2024, world 75.4%
- GDP per person
- 2,363
- 2025, world 14,406
Electricity generation mix
- Oil
- Coal
- Gas
- Hydro
- Nuclear
- Solar, wind & other
Kenya2024
Sub-Saharan Africa2024
World2024
View data table
| Economy | Oil | Coal | Gas | Hydro | Nuclear | Solar, wind & other | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya | 8.8% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 28.3% | 0.0% | 48.4% | 2024 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 5.0% | 42.9% | 14.0% | 29.9% | 2.5% | 4.3% | 2024 |
| World | 2.3% | 34.5% | 21.9% | 14.6% | 9.8% | 12.4% | 2024 |
Share of electricity production by source, latest year available. Shares may not sum to exactly 100% because of rounding and minor sources.
Access to electricity
% of population, compared with Sub-Saharan Africa and the world.
- Kenya
- World
- Sub-Saharan Africa
0%
50%
100%
WorldKenyaSub-Saharan Africa View data table
| Year | Kenya | World | Sub-Saharan Africa |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 77.0% | 91.9% | 55.1% |
| 2023 | 76.2% | 91.6% | 53.3% |
| 2022 | 76.0% | 91.3% | 51.5% |
| 2021 | 76.5% | 91.3% | 50.7% |
| 2020 | 71.5% | 90.4% | 48.5% |
| 2019 | 69.7% | 90.1% | 47.2% |
| 2018 | 61.2% | 89.8% | 46.4% |
| 2017 | 55.8% | 88.9% | 43.8% |
| 2016 | 53.1% | 88.1% | 43.8% |
| 2015 | 41.6% | 86.9% | 39.2% |
| 2014 | 36.0% | 86.2% | 38.4% |
| 2013 | 40.1% | 85.7% | 38.0% |
| 2012 | 38.1% | 84.9% | 36.8% |
| 2011 | 36.2% | 84.5% | 35.9% |
| 2010 | 19.2% | 83.5% | 33.3% |
| 2009 | 23.0% | 82.9% | 32.6% |
| 2008 | 30.3% | 82.7% | 32.4% |
| 2007 | 28.3% | 82.0% | 32.5% |
| 2006 | 26.4% | 81.4% | 31.2% |
| 2005 | 24.5% | 80.7% | 29.4% |
| 2004 | 22.6% | 80.0% | 29.4% |
| 2003 | 16.0% | 80.0% | 29.6% |
| 2002 | 18.9% | 79.1% | 27.3% |
| 2001 | 17.0% | 78.7% | 26.2% |
| 2000 | 15.2% | 78.2% | 25.7% |
| 1999 | 13.2% | 74.5% | 30.1% |
| 1998 | 14.5% | 73.2% | 28.6% |
| 1997 | 9.3% | – | 28.4% |
| 1996 | 7.4% | – | 28.5% |
| 1995 | 5.4% | – | – |
Energy production and use
| Measure | Latest | Year | World rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oil consumption | 116 thousand b/d | 2024 | 75 of 216 |
| Electricity generation | 13.3 TWh | 2024 | 103 of 211 |
| Renewable generation | 12.1 TWh | 2024 | 63 of 206 |
| Primary energy consumption | 0.32 quad Btu | 2024 | 85 of 215 |
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, International Energy Statistics.
Power generation, 2025
Kenya generated 14.0 TWh of electricity in 2025, 90% of it from low-carbon sources, at 96 grams of CO₂ per kWh.
Source: Ember, yearly electricity data (CC BY 4.0).
Kenya in world rankings
- Oil consumption#74 of 203
- Electricity generation#102 of 202
- Renewable generation#62 of 200
- Primary energy consumption#84 of 203
- Clean electricity share#26 of 190
- Grid carbon intensity#24 of 190
- Solar share of electricity#85 of 169
- Wind share of electricity#18 of 103
- Hydro share of electricity#74 of 140
Emissions
CO₂ per person, tonnes, excluding land use.
- Kenya
- World
- Sub-Saharan Africa
0 t
2 t
4 t
6 t
WorldSub-Saharan AfricaKenya View data table
| Year | Kenya | World | Sub-Saharan Africa |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 0.38 t | 4.69 t | 0.70 t |
| 2023 | 0.38 t | 4.68 t | 0.70 t |
| 2022 | 0.41 t | 4.67 t | 0.72 t |
| 2021 | 0.40 t | 4.68 t | 0.75 t |
| 2020 | 0.37 t | 4.47 t | 0.73 t |
| 2019 | 0.38 t | 4.70 t | 0.79 t |
| 2018 | 0.38 t | 4.73 t | 0.80 t |
| 2017 | 0.39 t | 4.67 t | 0.80 t |
| 2016 | 0.38 t | 4.65 t | 0.81 t |
| 2015 | 0.36 t | 4.70 t | 0.82 t |
| 2014 | 0.34 t | 4.78 t | 0.86 t |
| 2013 | 0.31 t | 4.81 t | 0.85 t |
| 2012 | 0.29 t | 4.77 t | 0.82 t |
| 2011 | 0.32 t | 4.76 t | 0.82 t |
| 2010 | 0.32 t | 4.67 t | 0.84 t |
| 2009 | 0.31 t | 4.45 t | 0.82 t |
| 2008 | 0.27 t | 4.56 t | 0.89 t |
| 2007 | 0.26 t | 4.59 t | 0.86 t |
| 2006 | 0.27 t | 4.48 t | 0.86 t |
| 2005 | 0.25 t | 4.39 t | 0.89 t |
| 2004 | 0.23 t | 4.28 t | 0.89 t |
| 2003 | 0.21 t | 4.15 t | 0.86 t |
| 2002 | 0.25 t | 4.02 t | 0.84 t |
| 2001 | 0.26 t | 4.01 t | 0.85 t |
| 2000 | 0.29 t | 4.01 t | 0.85 t |
| 1999 | 0.27 t | 3.95 t | 0.85 t |
| 1998 | 0.27 t | 3.98 t | 0.89 t |
| 1997 | 0.25 t | 4.02 t | 0.91 t |
| 1996 | 0.27 t | 4.01 t | 0.90 t |
| 1995 | 0.25 t | 3.99 t | 0.87 t |
Currency
129.63 KES
per US dollar, mid-market reference. 1 KES = ₦10.27
Sunshine in Nairobi
6.4 kWh/m² today
- We6.4 kWh per square metre
- Th4.2 kWh per square metre
- Fr4.9 kWh per square metre
- Sa5.8 kWh per square metre
- Su6.2 kWh per square metre
- Mo6.5 kWh per square metre
- Tu6.5 kWh per square metre
Open-Meteo forecast, modelled irradiation.
Power plants
Installed capacity by fuel
23 plants, 2,486 MW recorded in WRI’s Global Power Plant Database.
- Hydro785 MW
- Geothermal754 MW
- Oil556 MW
- Wind336 MW
- Solar56 MW
Snapshot as of the database’s 2021 release; newer plants are not included. Nameplate capacity, not available generation.
Largest plants
| Plant | Fuel | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Turkana | Wind | 310 | 2017 |
| Gitaru | Hydro | 225 | 1978 |
| Olkaria I | Geothermal | 185 | 1981 |
| Kiambere | Hydro | 168 | 1987 |
| Olkaria I units 4 & 5 | Geothermal | 140 | 2015 |
| Olkaria IV | Geothermal | 140 | 2014 |
| Olkaria III (Orpower 4) | Geothermal | 139 | 2015 |
| Kipevu III | Oil | 120 | 1999 |
| Iberafrica I & II (Nairobi south diesel PP) | Oil | 109 | – |
| Turkwel | Hydro | 106 | 1990 |
| Olkaria II | Geothermal | 105 | 1982 |
| Kamburu | Hydro | 94 | 1974 |
All indicators
Kenya in numbers
Energy access
| Indicator | Kenya | Year | Sub-Saharan Africa | World |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Access to electricity % of population | 77.0% | 2024 | 55.1% | 91.9% |
| Access to electricity, rural % of rural population | 67.1% | 2024 | 35.7% | 84.9% |
| Access to electricity, urban % of urban population | 98.1% | 2024 | 82.9% | 97.8% |
| Access to clean fuels and technologies for cooking % of population | 32.0% | 2024 | 22.9% | 75.4% |
Power supply and mix
| Indicator | Kenya | Year | Sub-Saharan Africa | World |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electricity production from coal % of total | 0.0% | 2021 | 42.9% | 34.5% |
| Electricity production from natural gas % of total | 0.0% | 2021 | 14.0% | 21.9% |
| Electricity production from oil % of total | 8.8% | 2024 | 5.0% | 2.3% |
| Electricity production from nuclear % of total | 0.0% | 2021 | 2.5% | 9.8% |
| Electricity production from hydroelectric sources % of total | 28.3% | 2024 | 29.9% | 14.6% |
| Electric power transmission and distribution losses % of output | 25.8% | 2024 | 13.4% | 6.9% |
| Electric power consumption per capita kWh per capita | 195 kWh | 2024 | 380 kWh | 3,708 kWh |
Energy transition
| Indicator | Kenya | Year | Sub-Saharan Africa | World |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electricity production from renewables, excluding hydro % of total | 48.4% | 2021 | 4.3% | 12.4% |
| Renewable electricity output % of total electricity output | 78.1% | 2021 | 32.6% | 27.8% |
| Renewable energy consumption % of total final energy consumption | 67.7% | 2021 | 70.3% | 19.7% |
| CO₂ emissions per capita (excluding LULUCF) t CO₂e per capita | 0.38 t | 2024 | 0.70 t | 4.69 t |
| CO₂ emissions, total (excluding LULUCF) Mt CO₂e | 21.6 Mt | 2024 | 896.3 Mt | 39,632.7 Mt |
| Energy intensity of primary energy MJ per $2017 PPP GDP | 4.76 MJ/$ | 2021 | 6.14 MJ/$ | 4.54 MJ/$ |
Energy economy
| Indicator | Kenya | Year | Sub-Saharan Africa | World |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel exports % of merchandise exports | 1.8% | 2025 | 40.9% | 9.5% |
| Oil rents % of GDP | 0.00% | 2021 | 3.80% | 1.36% |
| Natural gas rents % of GDP | 0.00% | 2021 | 0.49% | 0.52% |
| GDP per capita current US$ | 2,363 | 2025 | 1,673 | 14,406 |
| Population, total people | 57.5M | 2025 | 1.3B | 8.2B |
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0). Latest year available per series.
Kenya in the newsroom