Kenya’s strategic economic dreams are highly dependent on the strength and sophistication of its electricity transmission system. These ambitions, if well rolled out and with correct partnerships, could transition Kenya into a first-world country, modelling countries such as Singapore, Japan, South Korea, and Malaysia.
Generating additional energy, being one of the key pillars to transition this plan into reality, would be key in modernising the economy by leveraging technology to transform key sectors. Over the past few years, Kenya has made significant investments in clean energy generation, yet this aspect alone does not guarantee power reliability or competitiveness. The national grid must evolve at the same pace as the economy it supports.
A modern, resilient, and intelligently managed transmission backbone is now as essential to growth as other infrastructural programs/ projects such as roads, fibre networks, or financial infrastructure. Without this, industrial expansion, digital innovation, and regional power trade remain constrained by system limitations that can easily be avoided.
It is in this context that Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (KETRACO) is advancing a systems-oriented approach to grid modernisation, complete with a modern National System Control Centre (NSCC) currently under development in Embakasi alongside a backup facility in Suswa.
The NSCC is designed to be the nerve centre of Kenya’s power system; a facility where real-time monitoring, automated controls, and coordinated dispatch converge to ensure stability, accuracy, and speed in decision-making.
Both facilities (the primary one at Embakasi and the backup component at Suswa) are equipped with advanced technologies like Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), Energy Management Systems (EMS), and an Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) system for real-time monitoring and management of the national electricity grid.
Such a strategic installation allows a country to shift from reactive management of grid disturbances to predictive, data-driven, globally aligned system operations. The efficiencies gained here are not theoretical. They manifest directly in fewer outages, shorter restoration times, lower technical losses, and more cost-efficient dispatch. These improvements benefit businesses, manufacturers, and ordinary citizens in tangible ways.
As Kenya strengthens its internal grid capabilities, interest from international utilities and technology firms has also grown. This trend reflects Kenya’s rising profile as a leader in clean energy and its substantial pipeline of transmission infrastructure.
Around the globe, utilities seek partnerships that allow them to exchange knowledge, share best practices, and participate in long-term system development. Recently, the Korea Electric Power Corporation expressed interest in collaborating with KETRACO, an example cited here only to illustrate the scale and diversity of global attention Kenya is now attracting.
Such proposals matter less for who makes them and more for what they signal: that Kenya’s grid expansion and technological reforms have become globally relevant. We could seize such opportunities for possible global cooperation and partnerships in the energy sector.
-The writer is Acting MD, Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (KETRACO)
