Relief for power consumers as water levels at Masinga remain stable
By Nicholas Waitathu, May 29, 2025Kenya’s largest hydroelectric reservoir, Masinga Dam, has defied mounting climate pressures to maintain stable water levels this week, offering relief to cushion Kenyans from unpredictable rainfall patterns.
The high levels of water are a welcome development at a time when climate change continues to affect hydroelectric power production, putting energy planners under growing pressure to diversify the country’s power sources.
Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) Managing Director and CEO Peter Njenga explained that current data from the company shows Masinga’s capacity has increased to 1,056.97 metres above sea level (m.a.s.l.), surpassing the maximum level of 1,056.50.
“This is a big boost to Kenya’s electricity grid, as Masinga dam anchors the Seven Forks cascade which is a system of five interlinked hydro stations that collectively power a significant share of the nation’s economy. At the same time, the broader hydro network remains under tight watch,” Njenga said in a statement.
According to KenGen, Kamburu, Gitaru, Kindaruma, Kiambere, Turkwel, Sondu, and Sang’oro power stations continue to hold strong, operating at maximum water levels.
“This kind of stability at Masinga and the other hydropower stations is welcome, but it is no longer something we can take for granted,” Njenga stated.
“We are operating in a new reality, and that’s why we are investing heavily in geothermal to shield Kenyans from the vagaries of rain-fed power production,” he added.
Hydroelectricity is Kenya’s cheapest and most established source of power, but it is also the most vulnerable to shifting rainfall patterns.
With droughts in recent years cutting deep into production, the country’s reliance on water-fed dams is being re-evaluated.
Geothermal energy, tapped from deep beneath Kenya’s volcanically active Rift Valley, today accounts for more than 42 per cent of the country’s daily power consumption with KenGen contributing over 33 per cent from its geothermal power plants in Olkaria.
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