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Uganda will repay Kenya the electricity Kenya Power supplied last week after a power disruption at one of its dams led to a demand deficit.
The landlocked neighbor last week temporarily closed the Isimba Dam in eastern Uganda after it flooded, causing a power outage and forcing Kampala to import 60 megawatts from Kenya to fill the gap.
At least two power generating units had been successfully recovered at the dam by Friday, when the plant was prepared to operate at full capacity by the end of the week.
Kenya had sent 60 megawatts to Uganda to make up the deficit. However, deliveries were gradually reduced to 40MW until last Friday, when the first turbine of the Isimba Dam was restored.
“The government plans this week to export 50 megawatts (MW) to Kenya in kind for the energy purchased last week to fill the gap created by the emergency shutdown of the Isimba hydroelectric power station,” the Daily Monitor reported.
Uganda and Kenya have had power purchase agreements since 1964. Kenya is one of the export markets for Uganda’s surplus electricity, along with Tanzania, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Kenya’s electricity demand rose to 2,117 megawatts (MW) in July, causing its buffer capacity to fall below the 100MW mark, sparking fears of power rationing from January.
Kenya’s available capacity is 2,200 MW and the increase in demand reduced the country’s scope for additional capacity from 140 MW to around 80 MW. Kenya will import 200 MW from Ethiopia from November for three years to 2025.
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