When Power Stalls: Payment Delays Threaten Kenya’s Geothermal Momentum By: Robert Buluma Kenya’s geothermal story has long been told as one of Africa’s most compelling energy success narratives—a nation that dared to dig deep into the Earth and emerged with a reliable, renewable backbone for its electricity grid. From the steaming plains of Olkaria to the ambitious expansions across the Rift Valley, geothermal has positioned Kenya as a continental leader in clean baseload power. But beneath this success lies a growing tension—one that could quietly undermine the very foundation of this progress. Recent signals from , one of Kenya’s key independent power producers, have cast a spotlight on a familiar yet dangerous challenge: delayed payments from . What may appear as a routine financial hiccup is, in reality, a warning sign with far-reaching implications for investment, energy security, and the future trajectory of geothermal development in Kenya. The Backbone of Kenya’s Energy System T...
Donor Funding Row Freezes KenGen’s Sh32 Billion Geothermal Ambition A Billion-Shilling Dream Stalls in Kenya’s Energy Heartland In the shadow of the steaming vents and rugged volcanic terrain of Hell’s Gate National Park, one of Kenya’s most ambitious clean energy expansions has hit an unexpected wall. The multi-billion-shilling geothermal project led by the Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) — valued at approximately Sh32 billion — has been frozen following a donor funding dispute. What was once a symbol of Kenya’s global leadership in geothermal energy now finds itself entangled in financial uncertainty, bureaucratic friction, and the fragile nature of international development financing. The pause is more than a delay in infrastructure delivery. It is a signal of how modern energy transitions, even in globally admired renewable hubs like Kenya, are still deeply dependent on external capital flows, policy alignment, and institutional trust between governments, utilities...