By Eng. Kipkemoi Kibias
On January 26 every year, the world observes the International Day of Clean Energy, established by the United Nations General Assembly to drive clean energy solutions that care for the planet and empower people.
The day reflects growing global awareness of energy’s role in mitigating climate change, rising inequality, and economic instability. While fossil fuels have powered industrial growth for over a century, they have also driven greenhouse gas emissions to unsustainable levels. Transitioning to clean energy has emerged as the clearest path to climate safety and economic resilience.
The International Day of Clean Energy supports initiatives like the Paris Agreement, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the Global Climate Action Agenda, all of which place energy transition at the centre of climate solutions. It also advances the UN Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG 7 on affordable, clean energy and SDG 13 on climate action.
Kenya has been a strong supporter of this global call, with more than 90 per cent of its electricity coming from clean sources, including geothermal, hydro, wind, and solar, placing the country among the world’s leaders in renewable energy.
This commitment is reflected in Africa’s Agenda 2063 and Kenya’s Vision 2030, both of which prioritise sustainable, reliable energy systems that support industrial growth, job creation, and universal electricity access.
But energy transition is not only about how power is generated; it is equally about how that power is transmitted. Clean energy that cannot reach homes, hospitals, farms, and factories remains a promise unfulfilled. This is where electricity transmission becomes essential, with the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (KETRACO) playing a defining role.
Transmission infrastructure is the backbone of the energy transition. Clean energy resources are often located far from demand centres, including geothermal in Olkaria, wind in Marsabit, solar in Garissa, and hydropower along river basins.
KETRACO’s mandate to plan, design, build, and operate high-voltage transmission infrastructure places it at the intersection of climate ambition and everyday life. Through power evacuation, grid expansion, reinforcement, and interconnection, the company ensures clean energy flows efficiently to consumers, supporting Kenya’s transition to a low-carbon economy.
During this year’s International Day of Clean Energy, that mandate takes shape with the completion and energisation of the 132kV Kitui-Wote Transmission Line, a project that demonstrates how global climate commitments translate into local impact.
The 65-kilometre Kitui-Wote line is part of the 156-kilometre Mwingi-Kitui-Wote-Sultan Hamud corridor, implemented under the Kenya Power Transmission System Improvement Project (KPTSIP). The other sections, Mwingi-Kitui (46.5 km) and Sultan Hamud-Wote (44.5 km), had already been completed and energised, making the corridor fully operational.
This line is a bi-directional system, offering alternative power supply paths that significantly improve reliability across Eastern Kenya.
To understand its significance, consider how power flows through this network. Originally, KETRACO constructed the Kindaruma-Mwingi-Garissa line, enabling Mwingi to receive hydropower from Kindaruma and solar power from the 50-megawatt Garissa Solar Plant.
At the other end, Sultan Hamud draws power from Juja Substation, part of the Dandora-Juja-Rabai line, which carries a mix of hydropower from Masinga, Kindaruma, and Kamburu dams, and geothermal energy from Olkaria.
The energisation of the Kitui-Wote section now fully interconnects the systems. Wote and Sultan Hamud can draw alternative supply from Garissa and Kindaruma via Mwingi and Kitui, while Mwingi and Kitui draw from Sultan Hamud’s hydro-geothermal mix. This creates a stronger, more resilient grid with improved voltage stability, fewer outages, and better power quality.
The energisation of the Kitui-Wote Transmission Line on the International Day of Clean Energy is both symbolic and substantial. It demonstrates that clean energy transitions succeed through deliberate investment in infrastructure that connects people to power.
As experience has shown, clean energy is transformative only when reliably delivered, with transmission lines enabling a greener, fairer, and more prosperous future for all.
The International Renewable Energy Agency has reported that expanding rural electricity access improves living standards and accelerates economic growth. In Kenya, this is now visible along the Kitui-Wote Transmission Line, a project that captures the real value of clean energy.
For counties such as Kitui and Makueni, whose economies are rooted in agriculture and small enterprise, reliable electricity is the foundation for value addition and income growth. Stable power enables storage and processing, reducing post-harvest losses and raising farmer returns.
A similar transformation is unfolding in livestock, dairy, and apiculture. Kitui’s famous honey, produced in Mwingi and Kitui, can be processed and branded at scale with reliable power, positioning the region as a honey hub. In dairy, electricity enables milk chilling, processing into yoghurt and cheese, and loss-free transport.
Beyond agriculture, the benefits extend across society. Health facilities, from referral hospitals to rural dispensaries, rely on uninterrupted power for diagnostics, refrigeration, records, and emergency care. Stable electricity improves healthcare, saves lives, and attracts skilled professionals. Schools, vocational centres, and ICT hubs supported by KETRACO’s fibre-optic lines are going to be better equipped to prepare youth for a modern economy.
Business is also accelerating in Kitui and Makueni. Jua Kali artisans, mechanics and fruit vendors can now operate longer hours, protect their stock, and expand operations.
At the system level, the impact is even greater. Kitui currently consumes about 6 megawatts, while Wote uses about 5 megawatts. The newly energised line initially delivers 20 megawatts and has the capacity to carry 80 megawatts, securing decades of growth. This line is futuristic with substations that provide for staged expansion through the addition of transformers as demand grows.
Across its projects, KETRACO’s approach reflects the compound effect, as Darren Hardy calls it. The company pursues small, disciplined investments repeated across regions, creating national transformation. Like the U.S. interstate highways once did for trade and mobility, Kenya’s transmission grid is knitting counties together into a single economic space powered by clean energy.
The writer is Ag. MD and CEO of the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company Limited (KETRACO).
