A prolonged drought in Kenya has been causing severe power shortages across the nation. Nearly 75% of Kenya's electricity is generated by hydropower from the Tana River basin and the Turkwei River gorge. The lack of precipitation during the normally rainy months of March, April and May has caused a dramatic drop in water levels at many of the reservoirs that supply Kenya's hydroelectric plants, resulting in a serious decline in Kenya's ability to generate sufficient power for its citizens and industries.

In addition to Kenya, much of the rest of East Africa is dependent onhydropower for its energy supplies, including Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania.

To alleviate the severe power shortage in Kenya, the country's state-owned utility, Kenya Electricity Generating Co. Ltd. (KenGen), awarded a contract to Aggreko for the provision of a 100-MW temporary power plant to support the national grid and ensure uninterrupted power for Kenya's industrial sector. The contract is estimated to be worth around US$34 million over a one-year period. The 100 MW will account for about 10% of the country's total generating capacity.

Aggreko will supply the Embakasi plant with generators, transformers, switchgear, control rooms, fuel tanks, fuel, and other ancillary equipment and services. Specialized engineers will man the plant 24/7 to ensure its equipment operate at peak efficiency. The new 100-MW plant is the third major contract Aggreko has won in East Africa in the last 12 months. In 2005, Aggreko installed a 50-MW plant in Uganda and a 15-MW plant in Rwanda.