Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro has weighed in on the issue of the high cost of power in the country.
Speaking on TV47 on Monday, Nyoro said the cost of power cannot be lowered through distribution saying distribution accounts for only 25 percent of the power cost.
He said the focus for the government is increasing the demand for power which will eventually lower the cost of power per unit.
“I am talking that on the basis of facts, distribution accounts for 20 to 25 percent of what the users end up paying, the rest of it goes into the production of power,” he said.
He said Kenya Power only distributes electricity from producers mainly Kengen and the other IPPS.
“When demand is low then power producers only produce low and when there is low power production there are no economies of scale,” he said.
Nyoro said Kenya produces and consumes just around 3,000 megawatts of power every year, compared to South Korea which produces 30 times that and South Africa which also produces more.
“When you create more demand for power then power is produced in bulk than in many megawatts. When you produce power more you lower the cost per unit,” he said.
“That is what the government is trying to do through the whole programme for the industry, we want to increase the demand for power,” he added.
His sentiments come barely a month after the country was plunged into darkness due to a power outage.
Kenya Power attributed the nationwide blackout to a loss of 270MW from LTWP.
Tetu MP Geoffrey Wandeto called on the country to learn from the nationwide power outage to forge better policies.
He said even though the country has opened up to IPPs which has seen it generate more power, the distribution is still under monopoly hence resulting in blackouts.
"The problem is not coming from our generation but from distribution which is held by a monopoly," Wandeto said.
