Kenya
KENKenya is first in the world for geothermal.
Geothermal supplies 46% of its electricity.
What this grid depends on
Three measures that say more about a country than how much power it makes. Open “what this means” on any of them if the term is new.
Among the cleanest electricity anywhere.
What this means
How much planet-warming gas is released to make one unit of electricity. Two countries can generate exactly the same amount and one of them be ten times dirtier doing it. Lower is better.
Kenya buys in more electricity than it sends out.
What this means
The share of the electricity used here that was generated abroad and carried in over high-voltage lines. The higher it climbs, the more this country relies on a neighbour to keep its lights on.
Also true of Kenya
Kenya has about as many people as South Korea, and 50 times less electricity to share between them.
58 million people against 52 million, but 244 kWh per person a year against 12,090.
Geothermal overtook hydro on Kenya's grid in 2015.
Today geothermal supplies 46% and hydro 21%.
Kenya has cleaned up its grid faster than most people realise.
Low-carbon electricity went from 67% to 90% in 20 years.
Kenya’s neighbours
TanzaniaTanzania's grid has been getting dirtier, not cleaner.
EthiopiaEthiopia runs almost entirely on hydro.
UgandaUganda has about as many people as South Korea, and 104 times less electricity to share between them.
South SudanSouth Sudan runs almost entirely on oil.
SomaliaSomalia is among the world's biggest wind and solar producers and still burns fossil fuels for most of its power.
Figures are for 2025, the most recent year reported for Kenya. Generation shares are a percentage of electricity generated, not of energy used. How this is calculated.