• Kenya now requires the Attorney General to validate any amendment to power purchase agreements (PPAs) signed with private producers.
• Parliament ordered private producers to publish ownership structures within six months, including the identities of beneficial owners.
• Kenya ended its moratorium on new PPAs and confirmed that 54 IPP projects were under negotiation before the suspension, while 65 hydro projects are currently under review.

Kenya continues to face rising pressure on its electricity network. Authorities have therefore adjusted the regulatory framework to improve sector organization and support the integration of new power-generation capacity.

Kenya has tightened legal oversight of power purchase agreements signed with private producers. International media reported on Tuesday, Nov. 18, that the Attorney General must now validate any amendment to a PPA, as part of the legal supervision of public contracts.

Officials also confirmed that Parliament had adopted a measure requiring private producers to disclose, within six months, the list of individuals or companies that hold shares in their entities. Producers must additionally reveal the identities of all beneficial owners who ultimately control or profit from the company.

The new measures come as Kenya ended the moratorium that had suspended the conclusion of PPAs with independent power producers. GreenBuilding Africa reported that 54 projects promoted by independent producers were under negotiation before the halt to new contracts.

The government now plans to launch tenders for wind and solar projects, which will replace the bilateral negotiations previously used. Authorities also confirmed that 65 hydropower projects remain under review, including 40 small plants.

This regulatory development coincides with findings published in the Ministry of Energy’s Least Cost Power Development Plan 2024–2043. The document states that the integration of new private capacity will depend on the availability of Kenya’s transmission network. It also notes that several lines require upgrades to prevent congestion and enable the evacuation of additional supply from pending projects.

This article was initially published in French by Abdel-Latif Boureima

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum