Kenya has made significant strides in electricity connectivity, with national access rising to 77%, but the gains risk being undermined by high costs, infrastructure stagnation, and questionable levies, according to Eng. Isaac Ndereva, the Executive Director of Electricity Consumers Society of Kenya, ELCOS.

Speaking on Radio Generation’s People Breakfast Show, Ndereva painted a mixed picture of the country’s energy sector.

He lauded the connectivity progress, crediting support from the World Bank and IMF for helping fast-track the electrification program.

However, he raised concerns that nearly half of the population remained unaware of the initiative during its rollout highlighting a major lapse in public sensitization and stakeholder engagement.

“While connectivity has improved, 50% of Kenyans didn’t even know they could access this power. That speaks volumes about how poorly the process was communicated,” said Ndereva.

He drew comparisons with Rwanda, which had only achieved 25% electricity access by 2013, yet now boasts a more affordable and sustainable energy model.

In contrast, he said, Kenya continues to rank among the most expensive power markets in Africa, frustrating households and businesses alike.

Ndereva further warned that despite the widened access, the energy grid is under growing pressure due to the government’s freeze on transformer procurement. “We haven’t had new transformers installed. That’s a ticking time bomb for the entire distribution network,” he said, pointing to the potential for blackouts and system overloads.

He also criticized the rising cost of electricity tokens, singling out what he termed as punitive and opaque levies passed on to consumers.

He particularly took issue with the role of the Water Resources Management Authority (WARMA), which he claimed is “milking” Kenyans through unexplained charges buried within their power bills.

“The VAT on fuel that goes into generation plants are already high, but now WARMA is also charging Kenyans indirectly through tokens. This is pure exploitation of the Mwananchi,” he said.

Ndereva urged the government to re-evaluate the structure of electricity tariffs and bring transparency to the entire billing system. He emphasized that unless these systemic inefficiencies are addressed, the dream of universal and affordable energy will remain elusive.