By Ken Muthomi - Reporter
Kenya, April 27, 2026 - Electricity consumers across Kenya will face higher power bills at the end of April after the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) introduced new charges in its latest tariff review.
In a gazette notice dated April 24, the regulator said that it has introduced three new tariffs on electricity bills, including a Foreign Exchange Fluctuation Adjustment, a Water Resource levy, and a Fuel Energy Cost Charge (FECC).
The FECC will be the most significant, adding 347 cents per kWh, reflecting the cost of fuel used in electricity generation, particularly from power plants that burn diesel and gas, and from geothermal steam, to keep the national grid running.
The forex adjustment will add 123.41 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh), derived from exchange movements affecting power producers and distributors, including Kenya Electricity Generating Company, Kenya Power, and Independent Power Producers (IPPs), totalling Ksh1.3 billion last month.
The Water Resource Management Authority (WRMA) levy will include a 1.54 cents per kWh. The levy was applied to electricity generated from hydropower stations.
The stations include Gitaru, Kamburu, Kiambere, Kindaruma, Masinga, Tana, Wanjii, Sagana, Turkwel, Gogo, Sondu Miriu, and Sangoro, which supplied 334.69 million units in March 2026 at an approved levy of 5 Kenyan cents per kilowatt-hour, according to EPRA.
“PURSUANT to Clause 2 of Part III of the Schedule of Tariffs, 2023, notice is given that all prices for Electrical Energy specified in Part II of the said Schedule will be liable to a Foreign Exchange Fluctuation Adjustment of Plus 123.41 Cents per kWh for all meter readings taken in April, 2026,” EPRA stated.
Consumers in off-grid and remote areas, where diesel-powered generators are the primary source of energy, are expected to feel the greatest burden.
Regions such as Turkana County, Lamu County, and Homa Bay County face some of the highest diesel costs due to logistical challenges in transporting diesel, paying Ksh255.48, Ksh251.58, and Ksh238.24, respectively for a Kilogram of diesel.
Areas connected to geothermal plants such as Olkaria benefit from dramatically cheaper steam charges, recorded at just Ksh 2.59 per kilogram.
Joseph Oketch, EPRA acting Director General, said the adjustments are necessary to reflect the actual cost of generating and supplying electricity amid fluctuating fuel prices and currency shifts.
The new adjustment comes at a time when many households are also feeling the strain of increased fuel prices, which have pushed up transport expenses and the overall cost of living, sparking uproar among Kenyans.
The regulator announced that motorists will pay Ksh197.0 per litre for Super petrol and Diesel retailing at Ksh196.3 per litre, while the price of kerosene remains unchanged, at Ksh152. 78 per litre.
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