KEY POINTS
- EPRA introduced three new electricity charges for April 2026 via a gazette notice on Friday.
- The fuel energy cost charge adds 347 cents per kWh, the largest of the three new charges.
- Off-grid areas including Turkana, Lamu and Homa Bay counties will face the highest cost increases.
Kenyan electricity consumers will pay more this month. The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority has introduced three new charges for April 2026, and the combined impact will push power bills higher across the country.
EPRA announced the adjustments in a Gazette Notice issued on Friday, citing exchange rate movements, water resource costs and fuel prices as the drivers behind the increases.
The three charges are a Foreign Exchange Fluctuation Adjustment of 123.41 cents per kilowatt-hour, a Water Resource Management Authority levy of 1.54 cents per kWh and a Fuel Energy Cost Charge of 347 cents per kWh. Together they represent a significant addition to what Kenyan consumers will see on their April bills.
What each charge covers
The forex adjustment reflects exchange rate movements affecting power producers and distributors, including Kenya Electricity Generating Company, Kenya Power and independent power producers. Exchange-related costs recorded in March 2026 exceeded KSh1.3 billion.
The water resource levy applies to electricity generated from hydropower stations, including key dams such as Gitaru, Kiambere and Masinga, which supply a large share of Kenya’s electricity.
The fuel energy cost charge is the biggest of the three. It covers the cost of fuel used in generation, particularly from diesel and thermal plants that support the grid during peak demand or low hydropower output. At 347 cents per kWh, it accounts for the largest portion of the April increase.
EPRA Acting Director-General Joseph Oketch said the adjustments are necessary to reflect the actual cost of generating and supplying electricity amid fluctuating fuel prices and currency shifts.
Who gets hit hardest
The impact will not fall equally across Kenya. Consumers in off-grid and remote areas, where diesel-powered generators are the primary electricity source, will carry the greatest burden.
Turkana County, Lamu County and Homa Bay County face some of the highest fuel costs due to the logistical challenge of transporting diesel to remote locations. Consumers in these areas will feel the April increase more sharply than those on the main grid.
Areas connected to geothermal sources, particularly around Olkaria, will see relatively lower cost increases. Steam-based generation is cheaper than diesel, and that difference will show up in bills this month.
