The Directorate of Electrical Power Development is responsible for electrical energy policy formulation and development, planning for power development to ensure that there is quality and affordable energy for national development.

Vision and Mission: The Directorate’s Mission Statement is guided by the Ministry’s Mission

This Directorate is headed by the Chief (Electrical) Engineer who reports to the Principal Secretary, Ministry of Energy. The current Head is Eng. Julius Mwathani, Senior Principal Superintending Engineer.

The Directorate of Electrical Power Development is subdivided into three departments headed at the level of Senior Principal Superintending Engineer. The departments are as follows:

• Transmission and Grid Expansion:
• Power generation-Hydro, Geothermal, Major wind Department:
• Power Generation- Fossil fuels Department:
• Distribution and Rural Electrification

Key functions
•    Electrical energy policy formulation and development
•    Updating Least Cost Power Development Plan
•    Updating Rural Electrification Master plan
•    Tariff policy formulation
•    Development of technical standards in collaboration with KEBS
•    Undertaking regional power studies
•    Carrying out feasibility studies on electrical power projects
•    Sourcing financing for power projects
•    National Energy Power planning and;
•    Overseeing, appraising, monitoring and evaluation of Generation, Transmission, Distribution and Rural Electrification Projects

The development priority objectives of the Directorate are:
•    Enhancing power generation through:
o    Resource mobilization for development of power generation projects
o    Injecting power to the National Grid
•    Enhancing Power transmission capacity by:
o    Resource mobilization for development of power transmission lines
o    Extending power transmission lines countrywide
•    Increasing access to electricity
The target is to augment connectivity to attain one million new customers each year.

Power Generation

The Directorate facilitates and provides support for the development of power generation projects in order to increase the installed power generation capacity. This is done through resource mobilization, monitoring and evaluation of the power generation projects and playing oversight role over the implementing agencies.
The power generation capacity in the country was 2341MW as at December 2016 made up of the following categories.

Committed Projects for Generation
The Directorate facilitates the progression and implementation of various power generation projects. The committed projects include: coal, geothermal, hydro, wind and biomass.  The projects are:-
•    KenGen, Isiolo Wind, 100MW.
•    Lake Turkana Wind power, 300MW.
•    Prunus Ngong 50MW Wind.
•    Kipeto 100MW Wind.
•    Wellhead Generation: 65 MW of geothermal wellhead generation.
•    Menengai Phase I: Construction of 400MW power plants.
•    Coal plant: 1050MW plant in Lamu.
•    Co-generation: 18MW in Kwale.

Power Transmission

The Directorate facilitates and provides support for the construction of power transmission lines in order to expand the national grid. This is done through resource mobilization, monitoring and evaluation of the power transmission line projects and oversight role over the implementing agencies.
The existing transmission network consists of 500, 400, 220 and 132 kV high-voltage transmission lines. The transmission development plan indicates the need to develop approximately 10,345KM of new lines in the long term planning period.
As at December 2016; implementation of transmission of network was as follows:

Existing Transmission Lengths

• • 2,536 km of 132kV
  • 4,564 km of 200kV
  • 2,545 km of 400 kV
  • 600 Km of 500 kV HVDC

Committed Transmission Project lengths
•    1,134km of 132kV
•    140km of 220kV
•    1,539km of 400kV
•    612km of 500kV HVDC

Transmission Line Projects for 5000+ MW fast tracked Generation

• Menengai – Soilo line 132kV 13km  double circuit Line
• Menegai – Rongai line 25kms 400kV double circuit line
• Silali – Rongai line 150kms 400kV double circuit line
• Lamu – Kitui – Nairobi East 520kms 400kV double circuit line
• Isinya – Nairobi East 110kms 400kV double circuit line

Transmission Projects with completed feasibility studies are:

• 1044km of 132kV
• 280km of 220kV

Transmission Projects with ongoing feasibility studies are:

• 632km of 132kV
• 1325km of 220kV
• 1713km of 400kV

Regional Interconnections

The Directorate facilitates the progression and implementation of regional interconnections, including:

Kenya (Lessos)-Uganda (Tororo), 127Km 400kV Double Circuit Transmission Line;
Kenya (Isinya)-Tanzania (Singinda), 100Km 400kV Single Circuit Transmission Line;
Kenya-Ethiopia (East Africa Interconnector), 612Km 500kV HVDC Transmission Line

Power Distribution

The Directorate facilitates and provides support in the expansion of power distribution projects in order to increase electricity access. This is done through resource mobilization, monitoring and evaluation of the power distribution projects and oversight role over the implementing agencies.
Several distribution projects under implementation throughout the country as at December 2015 as follows.
Existing Distribution lines lengths

• • 1,212km of 66kV
  • 21,370km of 33kV
  • 32,823km of 11kV

Rural Electrification

The Directorate facilitates and provides support for the implementation of rural electrification projects in order to enhance provision of electricity in the rural areas. This is done through resource mobilization, monitoring and evaluation of the power distribution projects and oversight over the Rural Electrification Authority.
As at December 2015 the total number connected stood at about 22,175
Table1: Status of Electrification

Flagship Programmes

1.  5000+ MW; Power to Transform Kenya
   This is a programme to increase the power generation of power from 1,664 MW to slightly over 6700MW in forty months with a corresponding drop in electricity prices by up to 30%. The programme targets diversification of power generation sources so as to wean the country off the overdependence on hydroelectricity which has been greatly affected by the climate change phenomenon.
2.  The Last Mile Connectivity Project
   The directorate initiated the last mile connectivity project with the aim of increasing electricity access to Kenyans and is implemented by the Kenya Power.
   Under this Project, KPLC will maximize the utilization of the 40,000 existing distribution transformers spread across the country, while REA will focus on expansion of MV and LV lines to improve reticulation in rural areas.

This project has contributed to an increase of connections from XXX in 2015 to XXXX in 2016.

3.  Public/Street Lighting Project
   The street lighting project is intended to provide adequate public lighting to industrial/residential areas, commercial centres, roads, railway and public transport facilities and also to create a conducive environment for a 24 hour economy envisaged under Vision 2030.

The plan is to roll out public lighting in all counties starting with Nairobi City County which is the seat of the National Government and largest economic centre contributing 55% of the GDP. The works entail refurbishment of the existing street lighting infrastructure, installation of new lighting infrastructure networks and operation and maintenance.

Powering National Development