Kenya Power, a prominent state-owned utility company in Kenya, has launched an ambitious five-year corporate strategic plan spanning from 2023/24 to 2027/28. The plan aims to shape and guide the company’s operations over the medium term, with a focus on redefining its operational framework, exploring new avenues for growth, and fostering diversified revenue streams to drive value creation.
Dr. (Eng.) Joseph Siror, Managing Director & CEO of Kenya Power, stated that the strategic plan is designed to spearhead projects and initiatives fortifying the company’s competitive edge, boosting profitability, enhancing electricity accessibility, and improving the reliability and efficiency of power supply across the country. Kenya Power currently operates an extensive grid spanning over 300,000 kilometers, providing electricity to approximately 9.2 million households, impacting about 75% of the country’s population by providing access to electricity.
Key focal points of the strategic plan include achieving financial sustainability, prioritizing customer-centric operations, striving for operational excellence, and optimizing human capital. These aspects are crucial determinants in the company’s ability to offer efficient, reliable, and affordable electricity services. The plan also seeks to strike an optimal balance among various interests within the electricity sub-sector to ensure value creation for consumers while enhancing the company’s sustainability and profitability.
However, the unveiling of this ambitious plan coincides with Kenya Power’s financial challenges, marked by reported losses and a network infrastructure in dire need of refurbishment, compounded by system losses. Joy Brenda Masinde, Kenya Power’s Chair, emphasized the pivotal role of electricity in the nation’s socio-economic development and highlighted the company’s imperative to thrive amid an environment of increasing prosperity. The plan envisions a strategic mix in power generation, network expansion, and tariff management to provide competitively priced electricity while ensuring sustained profitability for the company.
In parallel efforts to bolster its commercial viability, Kenya Power has engaged Deloitte to aid in board restructuring, aimed at diluting state control over the company. Kenya Power’s financial report for the full-year period ended 30th June 2023 revealed a notable shift from a net profit of KShs 3.3 billion in the 2022 financial year to a net loss of KShs 3.2 billion, highlighting the company’s urgent need for strategic recalibration amidst operational and financial challenges.
The unveiling of this five-year strategic plan stands as a pivotal moment for Kenya Power, signaling its proactive stance in addressing current shortcomings, driving growth, and charting a course towards enhanced operational efficiency and sustained profitability.