Bagasse, the fibrous waste once treated as a by-product of sugar production, is now at the centre of a major policy rethink that could redefine Kenya’s energy landscape.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

At West Valley Sugar Company, what was once agricultural residue is already being converted into electricity. Five megawatts are currently flowing from the plant’s cogeneration system, yet officials say this is only a fraction of what is possible.

Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development Mutahi Kagwe says Kenya’s sugar factories are being repositioned as dual-output industrial hubs producing both sugar and energy, a shift that blends agriculture with the national power strategy.

West Valley Sugar Company is currently generating about 5MW using only roughly 30 per cent of its available bagasse, which, if fully harnessed, could rise to around 15MW, turning a single square mill into a meaningful contributor to the national grid.

📌 What You Need to Know

"West Valley is producing five megawatts of electricity with only a fraction of its bagasse. If the factory operated at full capacity, it could generate up to 15 megawatts. This is a fantastic opportunity not only for Kenya but also for the region. Our neighbours are already doing this, and there is no reason we should be left behind," said CS Kagwe.

Behind the scenes, discussions between the agriculture and energy dockets are focused on one question, which is how quickly sugar mills can be integrated into Kenya's electricity supply system as independent power producers feeding surplus power into the grid.

CS Kagwe called on Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi to expedite frameworks that would allow sugar factories to sell surplus electricity to the national grid, saying the partnership between the agriculture and energy sectors could help reduce the country's reliance on imported energy while creating new revenue streams for farmers and millers.

The remarks come weeks after Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, while touring the Coast region in Diani, reiterated the government's commitment to value addition in agriculture and the commercialisation of sugar by-products as part of the industrialisation agenda.

The Deputy President emphasised that revitalised sugar factories would not only produce sugar but also become centres of energy generation, ethanol production and employment creation.

Kenyans.co.ke has also found out that Kenya is now pushing for expanded biofuel production as global oil volatility continues to expose vulnerabilities in fuel imports. The strategy is to blend locally produced ethanol with petrol, reducing foreign exchange pressure while stabilising domestic fuel supply.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke