Ruto announce deal with Ethiopia to curb acute power shortage in Mandera
By Cynthia Lodite, February 12, 2026President William Ruto has announced a new deal with Ethiopia power to which aims at curbing the acute power shortage in Mandera County.
Speaking during the NYOTA Capital Disbursement event at Mandera Stadium on Thursday, February 12, 2026, Ruto stated that the government will first install a generator to stabilise the situation.
Worth noting, Mandera County has long relied on off-grid, costly, and unreliable diesel-powered generators from Kenya Power, which has plunged the town into darkness whenever technical failures occur.
According to the head of state, while the government works towards connecting Mandera to the Ethiopian power grid, the county shall receive a 3-megawatt generator to stabilise supply.
“To address the acute power shortage in the county, we shall, in the short term, install a 3-megawatt generator to stabilise supply even as we fast-track plans to connect Mandera to the Ethiopian power grid for a more sustainable solution,” Ruto stated.
Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam deal
The announcement comes months after President William Ruto announced that Kenya is ready to sign a power purchase agreement with Ethiopia following the inauguration of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
Taking to X on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, Ruto praised the project as a bold affirmation of Africa’s capacity to marshal its own resources and deliver transformative infrastructure.
“For Kenya, it offers immense promise. We are ready to sign a power purchase agreement with Ethiopia to off-take surplus electricity to power our industries, ICT hubs, manufacturing, and agro-processing, while strengthening competitiveness, creating jobs, and driving sustainable growth,” he said.
The GERD, located in Ethiopia’s Benishangul-Gumuz region, is Africa’s largest hydropower project, with an installed capacity of 6,450 megawatts. Built at a cost of Ksh647.50 billion, the dam was financed entirely by the Ethiopian people without foreign loans, making it a continental symbol of self-reliance and progress.
Earlier during the inauguration, Ruto explained that Kenya’s energy demand has already exceeded 2,300 megawatts and continues to rise, driven by rapid industrial growth and population expansion. He said surplus electricity from the GERD will not only address demand but also enhance grid stability, especially during drought seasons when hydropower generation within Kenya falls.