In this interview, we speak with Jeremiah Kiplagat, Director at the Kenya Power Institute of Energy Studies and Research, about Kenya’s strategic shift toward digitalized, resilient energy systems.
With a background that bridges academic research, utility innovation, and regional consulting, Kiplagat explains how capacity building, asset optimization, and smart metering are transforming the role of traditional utilities. From workforce development to grid-level data intelligence, he outlines the critical steps Kenya Power is taking to lead East Africa’s transition into a smarter energy era.
Whether piloting transformer-level metering or advising neighboring countries, this conversation reveals how long-term planning, regulatory support, and pragmatic technology choices are enabling sustainable modernization—one meter at a time.
Could you tell us more about your role at the Institute of Energy Studies and Research, and how your work connects to Kenya’s shift toward digitalization and smart energy systems?
As Director of the Kenya Power Institute of Energy Studies and Research, my role focuses on training and capacity building. We ensure that Kenya Power technicians and engineers have the necessary skills to keep up with evolving technologies through continuous training programs. Whenever new technologies are introduced, we organize relevant training to ensure our workforce is well-prepared.
We also emphasize research, development, and innovation. We identify key issues affecting Kenya Power and the broader energy sector, and we seek practical innovations and solutions to address those challenges. Additionally, I oversee our diversification strategy, an effort to broaden KPLC’s revenue streams. This includes training services and other income-generating initiatives such as leasing infrastructure to telecom companies for fiber cable deployment.
One of our ongoing projects is the development of CORS (Continuous Operating Reference Stations), used by surveyors for high-precision measurements. We continuously explore how to optimize our physical assets and human resources. This includes consulting services where we share our expertise with other African nations. With our strong foundation in the energy sector, we help neighboring countries address their power supply challenges by sharing lessons learned and proven solutions. We’ve partnered globally in the past, including with Minatoba Hydro International (MHI) of Canada on various initiatives. We aim to expand that support to regions where power reliability is still a challenge.
Capacity building and training are ongoing efforts. We are currently exploring opportunities in countries like Somalia, which are part of the East Africa Power Pool. Supporting them helps reduce power costs and improve service delivery across the region, fostering stronger regional integration.
Could you share more about your involvement and specific projects related to the rollout of smart meters?
At Kenya Power, we are focused on improving business operations and customer service. Digitalization, including the transition to a smart grid, is a top priority. At the Institute, our standards department works with company experts to develop specifications for procuring new equipment and materials. One major initiative was our smart metering project, funded by the World Bank, where we deployed around 60,000 smart meters for large customers, those consuming more than 200 units.
Kenya Power has now mandated that all new meter procurements must be smart meters. This was a decision from the executive committee, and we are progressively onboarding new customers with smart meters and replacing failed meters accordingly. All large power consumers are now using smart meters, and SMEs are also increasingly covered.
We’re also implementing boundary metering to support energy balancing and loss reduction. By tracking the power supplied and sold per county, we can identify imbalances and act quickly. Having nearly completed boundary metering, we are now moving to transformer-level metering. Starting this financial year, we will begin installing smart meters on transformers, enabling precise tracking of supply and consumption for each unit. This will significantly support our efforts to reduce losses and forecast efficiency improvements.
Kenya remains ahead of most neighboring countries in smart metering adoption, and we frequently serve as a learning partner for others in the region. Our experience is valuable in helping other utilities transition toward smarter, more efficient systems.
Are there national plans or strategies that foresee a large-scale rollout of smart meters in the coming years? And how are regulatory bodies in Kenya encouraging or guiding the development of smart metering through laws and regulations?
We currently serve over 9 million customers, most of whom are domestic users. A significant portion of these are on prepaid meters, a system introduced to reduce the operational burden of monthly meter reading. Only a small fraction, about 2,000,000 remain on postpaid meters. The conversion to smart meters is now happening progressively. Failed meters are replaced with smart ones, and all new installations are smart-enabled.
One major challenge is the cost of communication. Maintaining smart meters for low-consumption users can be more expensive than the revenue they generate, due to fees paid to telcos for data transmission. This is why we are exploring more cost-effective communication options. Demonstration projects will help us identify sustainable models. We’ve tried PLC (Power Line Communication) in the past with limited success, but it may be worth piloting again with improved technology.
A hybrid model (PLC, RF), and fiber is promising. Kenya already has widespread fiber infrastructure, supported by the government’s digital superhighway initiative. This will benefit both smart grid operations and broader digitization efforts. Cost-efficiency remains critical, but reducing losses is non-negotiable, and we must pursue smart systems aggressively.
We also receive strong regulatory support. Our move to a smart grid aligns with new policies such as net metering regulations. These policies are important to our transition, and we believe a smart grid will allow for more effective implementation and monitoring of such regulatory frameworks.
Kenya Power is heavily investing in continuous training and capacity building to ensure that its technicians and engineers keep pace with rapid technological change. This effort creates a skilled workforce capable of driving energy system modernization and sharing expertise across the region.
The rollout of smart meters is a key pillar of Kenya’s digitalization strategy, enabling precise monitoring of consumption and reduction of energy losses. The shift extends beyond large consumers to transformer-level metering, improving control and forecasting across the entire grid.
Government policies such as net metering and digital infrastructure initiatives strongly support the transition toward smart grids. However, high communication costs for low-consumption users remain a challenge, prompting exploration of hybrid and more cost-effective communication solutions.
What factors do you consider essential for the successful implementation of smart grids in countries with rapidly growing electricity demand, such as Kenya?