Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) is seeking to leverage its renewable energy capacity to attract manufacturers and other energy-intensive businesses, as it looks to expand revenue streams beyond electricity generation.
The power producer is banking on its planned Green Energy Park at Olkaria to link geothermal power with industrial development, positioning reliable, low-carbon electricity as an incentive for investors looking to establish operations in Kenya.
The initiative comes as electricity demand rises, with Kenya’s peak power demand reaching a record 2,549 megawatts in the financial year ended June 2026, according to KenGen.
The company has an installed generation capacity of about 1,786 megawatts and accounts for more than half of the electricity supplied to the national grid. More than 90 per cent of its installed capacity comes from renewable sources, principally geothermal, hydro and wind.
KenGen is pursuing additional generation projects to strengthen supply, including the redevelopment of Olkaria I, a solar project at Seven Forks and an upgrade of the Gogo hydropower plant.
Beyond generation, the company is positioning Olkaria as a potential industrial hub, with the Green Energy Park expected to attract investments in manufacturing and other enterprises that require reliable power.
The strategy seeks to capture more economic value from Kenya’s geothermal resources by encouraging businesses to establish production facilities near sources of clean energy, with the potential to support job creation and local supply chains.
KenGen Acting Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Ronoh Kibet says there is need for Africa to mobilise more capital to translate its renewable energy resources into industrial growth and economic opportunities.
The company will seek to advance this investment agenda at the Sustainable Energy Conference 2026, scheduled for November 24–27 at the KenGen Olkaria Geothermal Spa in Naivasha.
The conference, themed Powering Africa’s Green Industrial Revolution, is expected to bring together more than 1,500 delegates from over 80 countries, including investors, financiers, utilities and technology providers.
KenGen says the meeting will focus on developing commercial partnerships and mobilising funding for sustainable energy projects, against a backdrop of limited investment in Africa’s clean energy sector, a gap the company argues must be closed if countries like Kenya are to turn renewable energy advantages into productive industrial investment.
