Installed solar energy capacity in Kenya
Kenya: Installed solar energy capacity was 0.5511 gigawatts in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Installed solar energy capacity in Kenya, 2005–2025
Source: IRENA (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in gigawatts.
Analysis
The most recent figure for installed solar energy capacity in Kenya is 0.5511 gigawatts, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 21 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1,961.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, installed solar energy capacity in Kenya peaked at 0.5511 gigawatts in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0 gigawatts, in 2005.
That places Kenya 85th out of 218 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Installed solar energy capacity in Kenya, year by year
| Year | gigawatts | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 0 gigawatts | — |
| 2006 | 0 gigawatts | +541.7% |
| 2007 | 0 gigawatts | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 0.0002 gigawatts | +10253.2% |
| 2009 | 0.0002 gigawatts | +12.4% |
| 2010 | 0.0002 gigawatts | +6.8% |
| 2011 | 0.0013 gigawatts | +554.1% |
| 2012 | 0.0028 gigawatts | +126.6% |
| 2013 | 0.0058 gigawatts | +104.6% |
| 2014 | 0.013 gigawatts | +123.5% |
| 2015 | 0.0267 gigawatts | +106.2% |
| 2016 | 0.0309 gigawatts | +15.7% |
| 2017 | 0.0368 gigawatts | +19.2% |
| 2018 | 0.0923 gigawatts | +150.4% |
| 2019 | 0.104 gigawatts | +12.7% |
| 2020 | 0.1103 gigawatts | +6.1% |
| 2021 | 0.1734 gigawatts | +57.2% |
| 2022 | 0.2672 gigawatts | +54.1% |
| 2023 | 0.4749 gigawatts | +77.7% |
| 2024 | 0.5511 gigawatts | +16.0% |
| 2025 | 0.5511 gigawatts | +0.0% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 0.5511 gigawatts is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.1399 gigawatts, 3.9× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 0.5511 gigawatts is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.0453 gigawatts, 12.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Installed solar energy capacity in Kenya changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | +10253.2% | 0 gigawatts | 0.0002 gigawatts |
| 2011 | +554.1% | 0.0002 gigawatts | 0.0013 gigawatts |
| 2006 | +541.7% | 0 gigawatts | 0 gigawatts |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 0.0001 gigawatts | 0 gigawatts | 0.0002 gigawatts | 5 |
| 2010s | 0.0314 gigawatts | 0.0002 gigawatts | 0.104 gigawatts | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.3547 gigawatts | 0.1103 gigawatts | 0.5511 gigawatts | 6 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
More energy & mining data for Kenya
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary energy use, annual growth rate 6.22 % change on previous year (2024)
- Coal consumption, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Coal consumption, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary energy use, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary energy use, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Coal production, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Coal production, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Fuel imports 23.5% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is installed solar energy capacity in Kenya?
- Installed solar energy capacity in Kenya was 0.5511 gigawatts in 2025, according to IRENA (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest installed solar energy capacity recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 0.5511 gigawatts in 2024.
- What is the lowest installed solar energy capacity recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 gigawatts in 2005.
- How does Kenya rank for installed solar energy capacity?
- Kenya ranks 85th out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is installed solar energy capacity rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1,961.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from IRENA (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Installed solar energy capacity. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 21 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Total solar (on- and off-grid) electricity installed capacity, measured in gigawatts. This includes solar photovoltaic and concentrated solar power.