Kenya Eyes 10,000MW as Ruto Courts Billions in Private Investment

Kenya is targeting an expansion of its electricity generation capacity toward 10,000 megawatts over the next seven years. The strategy aims to expand national energy supply and attract international capital into high-growth sectors.

Speaking at the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) Business Summit, President William Ruto outlined the country’s energy roadmap, noting that the planned capacity boost will unlock vast opportunities across geothermal energy, electricity transmission, battery storage, industrial power, green hydrogen, and electric mobility.

“In the energy sector, we are expanding national generation capacity towards 10,000 MW over the next seven years,” Ruto said

Calling on Private Capital for Economic Transformation

Addressing global corporate leaders, President Ruto framed private enterprise as a core pillar of Kenya’s national development strategy. He noted that state resources alone cannot drive full-scale economic growth without commercial investments.

“Government cannot deliver economic transformation alone. Our responsibility is to provide infrastructure, uphold predictable rules and create an enabling environment,” he said. “The private sector turns those founda**tions into factories, technologies, exports and jobs.”

Ruto added that collaboration with the business community forms an indispensable part of Kenya’s long-term economic trajectory.

“That is why our partnership with business is not incidental to Kenya’s transformation; it is indispensable,” he said.

Kenya as the Launchpad to a 1.4 Billion Consumer Market

Pitching Kenya as a strategic continental hub, the president urged global investors to look beyond domestic boundaries and leverage the country’s access to broader African markets.

“**Do not look at Kenya simply as a market. Look at Kenya as your platform to a continent of 1.4 billion people,” Ruto said. “Produce here. Innovate here. Build your regional headquarters here, and serve Africa from here.”

U.S. companies have committed over $600 million to new projects in Kenya since the previous AmCham summit. Major investments driving this momentum include:

• Oracle: Selected Kenya to host its first public cloud region in Africa.
• Coca-Cola: Injected $175 million into local operations.
• Mars Wrigley: Launched a $103 million production line at Athi River.
• SC Johnson: Established a new manufacturing facility to supply regional and continental markets.

President Ruto also welcomed growing interest from Ford Motor Company in exploring local opportunities, aligning the potential venture with his administration’s industrialization and job creation priorities.

“Henry Ford’s proposition that those who build a product should be able to afford it speaks directly to our agenda of creating jobs, building local value, and making quality products accessible,” he noted.

Unlocking the Creative Economy

Beyond manufacturing and heavy infrastructure, President Ruto identified the creative economy as a high-potential frontier for employment and foreign direct investment.

He pointed to music, film, fashion, sports, and digital media as priority sectors capable of driving foreign exchange earnings when supported by robust infrastructure, reliable financing, distribution channels, and intellectual property enforcement.

As a model for creative sector investment, Ruto highlighted the proposed $120 million, 15,000-seat Zaria Arena planned for Nairobi’s Railway City project. The administration plans to maintain a favorable business climate, inviting global capital and technology to pair with Kenya’s workforce and market access.

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