Kenya’s captive power market hits 630MW boosted by transformative C&I stakeholders
Powering Industries in Africa through C&I
The Electricity Sector Association of Kenya’s 3rd Commercial & Industrial (C&I) Conference and Exhibition, held at the Trademark Hotel in Nairobi, covered various themes and highlighted 7 key areas for discussion.
The two-day event – themed Powering Industries in Africa through C&I – brought together government leaders, regulators, financiers, technology providers and industry players from across Kenya, East Africa, and the continent to advance the role of captive power in driving Africa’s industrial transformation.
Kenya’s C&I sector reaches landmark 630MW
Speaking at the opening of the conference, ESAK Chairperson Eddy Njoroge announced that captive power installations in Kenya have more than doubled since the association’s inaugural conference, growing from 250MW to over 630MW.
Captive power now represents 16% of Kenya’s total installed generation capacity. Projections indicate the sector will surpass 1GW by 2030.
“Three years ago, captive power was the sector people talked about quietly. Today, it is 630MW of installed reality, and we have barely scratched the surface,” said Njoroge. “This conference exists to ensure that the next 370MW – and the gigawatts that follow – are built smarter, faster and more equitably across Africa.”
7 conference highlights: Two days of policy, technology and deal-making
The 2026 programme addressed the full captive power value chain across eight plenary and breakout sessions, including:
- Africa’s industrial future: the role of C&I in powering clusters, SEZs, manufacturing hubs and data centres.
- Enabling policy environments for C&I growth, with perspectives from Kenya, Uganda and across the region.
- Innovative financing structures for captive power, featuring NCBA Leasing, Finergreen and UNDP.
- Fleet electrification and battery innovation as a new C&I load frontier in Africa.
- Legal, tax and compliance considerations for captive power project developers.
- Net metering implementation and open access – the regulatory frontier that will define the next phase of sector growth.
- Green hydrogen production: C&I as the enabler of Africa’s industrial energy transition.
“We are no longer just a domestic story. The questions being asked in Nairobi – about wheeling, open access, green hydrogen, and regional energy trade – are the same questions being asked in Lusaka, Lagos, and Cape Town. ESAK is proud to be the platform where Africa finds answers,” said George Aluru, CEO, ESAK.
Cover photo: Delegates visiting the Baeren Green Energy booth at the ESAK Conference & Exhibition
