Kenya is seeking assistance from a Turkish company to address an expanding electricity shortage that has caused millions of homes and businesses nationwide to suffer from regular power outages.
Government reports indicate that authorities are in preliminary discussions with Istanbul-based Karpowership, which specializes in floating power installations on vessels, to enhance electricity generation along Kenya’s coastal regions.
As stated by Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) Managing Director Joseph Siror, negotiations that commenced in 2024 are progressing, with the proposal currently in an advanced phase.
Additional information suggests the initiative was initially projected to become active by December of this year, based on timeline references in documentation.
Karpowership maintains a fleet of 45 ships capable of producing over 8,000 megawatts of electricity across twenty nations in Africa, Europe, South America, Asia, and Oceania.
The enterprise provides ready-to-deploy solutions and can install and activate an offshore floating power facility in less than thirty days, presenting a compelling alternative for nations experiencing immediate energy requirements.
The critical nature of the situation is underscored by the fact that peak power requirements have increased by one-third to an unprecedented 2.4 gigawatts in 2025, compared to 1.8 gigawatts when authorities suspended new power contracts in 2018.
This suspension, a moratorium on new electricity purchase agreements established seven years prior, effectively prevented the addition of new generation capacity despite continuously rising demand.
Kenya revoked the moratorium only in November of the previous year, but the consequences were already evident. Electricity imports reached an all-time high of 11 percent of total national usage in 2025, indicating the grid’s inability to meet requirements.
Concurrently, Kenya Power’s committed supply has expanded by just 13 percent to 2.9 gigawatts during this timeframe, a rate that has fallen short of escalating demand.
Pressure on the electrical network led to frequent blackouts, causing disturbances in everyday activities and commerce throughout the country.
Kenya is confronting an extremely narrow electricity reserve margin of merely 2.3 percent, with peak system demand reaching approximately 2,439 MW compared to a solid operational capacity of about 2,495 MW.
This leaves little room to manage unforeseen situations, necessitating deliberate evening power rationing to maintain grid reliability in certain instances.
Energy specialists at BloombergNEF indicate that escalating demand creates an immediate requirement for additional generation capacity, supporting the government’s investigation of nontraditional approaches like floating power installations.
A floating power facility fundamentally consists of a vessel containing electricity-producing turbines, moored at a harbor and linked directly to the national electrical network, engineered for rapid implementation and adaptability.
It is not considered a permanent solution, but rather a temporary measure to secure supply while more enduring generation initiatives progress.
Should the agreement materialize, Kenya would join numerous nations that have utilized Karpowership services during energy emergencies.