- AfDB and Kenya’s EPRA convene African regulators in Nairobi to strengthen electricity tariff frameworks, improve affordability under Mission 300.
- The peer-learning session promotes harmonised regulation and financial sustainability in Africa’s power sector, supporting efforts to connect 300 million people to electricity by 2030.
The African Development Bank (AfDB), in partnership with the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority, hosted a high-level peer-learning session in Nairobi to strengthen electricity tariff-setting frameworks across Africa. The session formed part of broader efforts to support universal energy access under Mission 300.
The one-day event ran alongside EPRA’s 7th Annual Regional Research and Innovation Conference. It brought together more than 15 national electricity regulators, utilities, regional regulatory bodies, and development partners from across the continent.
Participants focused on improving tariff design, cost-of-service studies, stakeholder engagement, and regulatory governance. As a result, the discussions emphasised practical reforms that balance affordability, investor confidence, and financial sustainability in the power sector.
Callixte Kambanda highlighted the importance of strong regulatory systems in achieving universal electricity access. He stressed that infrastructure investment alone is not enough without effective institutions that can ensure fair and sustainable tariffs.
The initiative falls under the African Development Bank’s Africa Energy Sector Technical Assistance Program, which supports policy, regulatory, and institutional reforms across African energy markets. It also assists countries implementing National Energy Compacts under Mission 300.
During the session, EPRA presented Kenya’s tariff framework as a case study. It showcased its multi-year tariff methodology, public participation processes, and performance-based regulatory approach.
Participants also examined key sector challenges, including utility financial sustainability, renewable energy integration, consumer protection, political constraints, and financing gaps needed to expand electricity access.
Mission 300, led by the World Bank Group and AfDB, aims to connect 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030. Therefore, regulators agreed that stronger coordination and harmonised frameworks are essential to achieving this target.
Through this collaboration, AfDB and EPRA aim to build a continent-wide network of regulators. This network will support policy harmonisation, strengthen institutional capacity, and accelerate Africa’s long-term energy transition.