By Robert Mutasi 
Kenyans will pay higher electricity bills in August after the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) approved adjustments adding a combined KSh 4.70 per kilowatt-hour to power costs.
The three variable charges, gazetted on 14 August 2026, apply to all token purchases and meter readings recorded during the month. They comprise a Fuel Energy Cost Charge of KSh 3.51 per kWh, a Foreign Exchange Fluctuation Adjustment of KSh 1.1777 per kWh, and a Water Resource Management Authority (WRMA) levy of KSh 0.015 per kWh.
Together, the adjustments total KSh 4.7027 per unit under the existing Schedule of Tariffs 2023. A household using 100 kWh will face about KSh 470 from these components alone, before the base tariff, taxes and other levies are added.
EPRA based the fuel charge on generation and purchase data from July, covering diesel, geothermal, thermal plants and electricity imports. The foreign exchange adjustment reflects sector-wide losses of about KSh 1.35 billion. The WRMA levy applies to hydropower stations with an installed capacity of one megawatt or more.
The charges are pass-through costs that recover actual generation expenses rather than a permanent increase in the base tariff. However, they will raise the overall cost of electricity for both prepaid and postpaid consumers this month.
This latest adjustment arrives at a time when many households and businesses are already struggling with the high cost of living. While fuel and forex fluctuations are real operational realities, repeated monthly increases place a heavy burden on ordinary Kenyans and undermine efforts to keep energy affordable.
Greater transparency in how these charges are calculated, combined with faster progress on cheaper renewable generation and reduced system losses, is essential if power prices are to stabilise and support rather than hinder economic recovery.