In a significant step towards balancing national development with environmental stewardship, Kenya Power has officially launched a landmark wildlife protection project. The initiative, spearheaded by the company’s Institute of Energy Studies and Research (IESR), aims to drastically reduce the electrocution of birds of prey and other wildlife.
Announced on June 18th, 2026, the project addresses a critical challenge: the intersection of Kenya’s expanding energy infrastructure and its vital wildlife corridors. The solution comes in the form of a strategic partnership with US-based Kaddas Enterprises to retrofit power lines with specialized, wildlife-friendly covers.
The Challenge: A Costly Intersection
Wildlife electrocution is not just an environmental tragedy; it is a significant operational challenge. According to the release, wildlife contact with power lines accounts for approximately 30% of all power outages in the country. Combined with other animal-related incidents, wildlife is responsible for nearly half of all disruptions to the national grid. This results in economic losses and service unreliability for customers.
The project is being piloted at the Soysambu Conservancy, located roughly 130 kilometers northwest of Nairobi. This area is a critical habitat for Kenya’s raptors, including the Augur Buzzard and the Martial Eagle, which are frequently electrocuted when perching on power poles.
The Solution: Retrofitting for Coexistence
The core of the project involves retrofitting power lines—specifically the Lanet–Naivasha Interconnector that traverses the conservancy—with protective covers. These covers are designed to prevent animals from creating a circuit that leads to electrocution.
“Wildlife is part of our national heritage which heavily drives our tourism sector. Equally, Kenya Power’s role in energy distribution is a key component of our country’s economic growth,” said Eng. Henry Pwani, Head of Research at IESR. “Our aspiration is to ensure peaceful co-existence between nature and the energy infrastructure.”
A “Win-Win” for Business and Environment
The five-year partnership with Kaddas Enterprises is expected to deliver dual benefits:
Conservation: Protecting endangered species and preserving Kenya’s biodiversity.
Reliability: Improving power supply stability for customers by reducing outages.
“By safeguarding wildlife, we are also improving power supply reliability to give a better experience for our customers. This is a win-win situation to the environment and our business,” added Eng. Pwani.
Building a Legacy of Awareness
Beyond the physical retrofitting, the partnership includes a comprehensive training component for Kenya Power’s technical staff. This initiative aims to create “champions” within the company who will integrate wildlife protection into the design and planning of future energy infrastructure.
Wesley Kerich, Kenya Power’s County Business Manager for Nakuru, noted the importance of learning from this specific location: “This line serves a big part of Nakuru County and by undertaking this project here, we are looking forward to pick lessons that will be helpful as the project is rolled out other hotspot areas across the country.”
Looking Ahead
The Soysambu Conservancy project serves as a critical learning ground. The data and lessons gathered here will be instrumental in rolling out similar protective measures across other high-risk areas in Kenya, ensuring that as the country grows, its wildlife has a place to thrive safely.
Kenya Power & Kaddas Enterprises Join Forces in 1st Project to End Animal Electrocution
