By Waren Christopher
The Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (KETRACO) on Wednesday announced plans for the construction of a new Kibos-Kakamega-Musaga transmission line.
Upon completion, the 220 Kilovolt (KV) line will stabilize and strengthen electricity supply across the Western and South Nyanza regions. Also in the pipeline is the Losuk-Lessos transmission line.
Speaking during a stakeholder engagement forum held in Kisumu, KETRACO Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Kipkemoi Kibias underscored the importance of the projects as part of Kenya’s broader energy and economic agenda.
He noted that while Kenya had made commendable progress in power generation with installed capacity now exceeding demand, electricity sourced from renewable transmission remains the key bottleneck.
Stakeholders in attendance included the Energy and Petroleum Authority (EPRA) officials.
“These projects are more than engineering endeavors; they are investments in Kenya’s social and economic future,” said Ibrahim Kitoo, Secretary, EPRA while reading a speech on behalf of Director General, Daniel Kiptoo.
The Losuk project involves the development of a 400kV transmission line, and substation infrastructure to improve connectivity and efficiency within the grid.
projects will significantly enhance power stability and support economic activities in Western Kenya, a region historically plagued by frequent outages and load shedding due to inadequate transmission infrastructure.
Implemented under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework as defined in the PPP Act of 2021, the projects follow a Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) model.
This structure allows private partners to design, finance, and operate the facilities for a concession period before handing them over to the government. The arrangement is expected to reduce the fiscal burden on the state while ensuring timely delivery and efficient operations.
Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs) are being conducted to ensure the projects adhere to both national regulations and international sustainability standards.
Communities along the transmission corridors will be actively involved through public participation forums, with a focus on minimizing displacement, protecting local ecosystems, and promoting transparency.
In line with Kenya’s local content policy, the projects are expected to create opportunities for employment, skills development, and involvement of local suppliers.
“Energy infrastructure must serve people first,” emphasized Kibias.
As the meeting concluded, officials called for unified support from all stakeholders to ensure the success of the projects, which they described as foundational to Kenya’s long-term energy vision and the attainment of sustainable development goals.
