Chinese technology boosts reliability, affordability of Kenya's electricity supply: official

NAIROBI, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Kenya is leveraging advanced Chinese technology to enhance the reliability and affordability of the country's electricity supply, a senior government official said Friday.

Joseph Siror, managing director of Kenya Power, the state-owned electricity distributor, told Xinhua in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi that the country's electricity infrastructure contains a lot of equipment from Chinese manufacturers such as Huawei and Yocean Group.

"Kenya's electricity sector has also benefited from technology transfer and capacity building from Chinese companies," Siror said when the company released results for the half year ended Dec. 31, 2024.

Kenya Power recorded 9.97 billion shillings (about 77.29 million U.S. dollars) in after-tax profit, driven by increased electricity sales, lower cost of sales, and reduced finance costs supported by the stability of the Kenya shilling against major foreign currencies.

Siror said several Chinese manufacturers have won competitive bids to supply Kenya Power with electric equipment due to their advanced technical and financial capabilities. He emphasized that through partnerships with Chinese firms, Kenya has been able to access state-of-the-art smart power grid solutions, energy-efficient transmission systems, and modern metering technologies.

He revealed that these innovations have supported Kenya's quest to minimize power losses, improve efficiency, and expand access to electricity across the country.