The energy watchdog has cut retail electricity prices for large manufacturers in a fresh bid to make power costs competitive compared with other African nations such as Ethiopia, South Africa and Egypt.
The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) has lowered retail tariffs for big consumers to Sh7.99 per kilowatt hour (kWh) from Sh10.10 a unit, reflecting a 20.8 percent fall.
Manufacturers operating in Special Economic Zones close to the Naivasha standard gauge railway (SGR) station will pay Sh5 per kWh, from the current rate of Sh10.10 and Sh12.
Domestic, commercial and small industrialists have been exempted from the discount as Kenya Power  continues to push for higher tariffs.
The lower electricity prices for industrialists are meant to boost economic growth, entice investors and rev up job creation. The Kenyan government has been trying to boost investment in the power-hungry manufacturing sector in recent years, including the opening of light vehicle assembly plants by global firms like Peugeot and Volkswagen. Read more>>
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