Multimedia University of Kenya (MMU) Director of Research and Innovation, Dr. David Wekesa, today, Thursday, October 22, 2026, delivered a keynote address outlining the enormous technical potential of wind power in Africa, arguing that resource can play a central role in the continent’s industrial transformation and sustainable energy future.
Speaking at the 9th International Conference on Mechanical and Industrial Engineering (MIE 2026) at the Institute of Marine Sciences, University of Dar es Salaam, in Zanzibar, Dr. Wekesa presented a comprehensive overview of the status of wind power on the continent, highlighting both its promise and barriers to its expansion.
His presentation, titled Status of Technical Potential for Wind Power in Africa, noted that the total technical potential for wind on the continent, as identified by International Finance Corporation (IFC), stands at 34,700 GW.
Dr. Wekesa said that while North Africa holds the highest regional potential, with 18,822 GW, followed by West Africa with 9,144 GW and Central Africa with 2,651 GW, installed capacity remains concentrated in a handful of countries, with South Africa, Egypt and Morocco leading in deployment.
He highlighted the complementary nature of wind resources across the continent saying that high wind season in East Africa coincides with the low wind season in Central and West Africa, and North Africa’s best wind period generally corresponds with lower wind production in Southern Africa, making a case for regional power pools and interconnection as a means of balancing supply.
His address also examined the technical and economic challenges facing wind power development, including intermittency, grid stability, financing headwinds, trade barriers, permitting delays and the lack of a developed supply chain on the continent.
Dr. Wekesa said that while solar PV is expected to drive much of Africa’s renewable expansion, wind is projected to be the second-largest driver of growth, particularly towards the end of the forecast period, as commissioning of large-scale hydropower projects slows.
He presented case studies of successful wind projects across the continent, including the Mwenga Wind Farm in Iringa, Tanzania, the country’s first wind project, which is a hybrid of wind and hydro, supports a rural network, powers 5,500 households and abates over 3,300 tonnes of CO2 annually. Other case studies included the Lake Turkana Wind Farm in Kenya, the Taiba N’diaye Wind Farm in Senegal, the West Bakr Wind Farm in Egypt, and the Nassim Koudia Al Baida Wind Farm in Morocco.
He also pointed to emerging demand drivers for wind power, including green hydrogen production, e-mobility, repowering of existing sites and the activation of regional power markets, the five pools of COMELEC, WAPP, CAPP, EAPP and SAPP.
As a future prediction, Dr. Wekesa said that total African wind power capacity in 2030 is within reach of regional ambitions, but that challenges such as grid availability, land rights and uneven policy frameworks must be addressed, adding that estimated USD 15 billion in investments and 24.4 million tonnes of CO2 abated annually are critical outcomes of scaling wind power.
“The total technical potential for wind is immense. Wind is deployed to contribute to countries’ reduction in carbon footprint, to reduce the cost of supply, to increase available energy capacity in grids, to diversify supply, and to supply industries. Wind will continue to play a big role in Africa’s electricity supply” he said.
The conference, held under the theme “Engineering Innovations for Sustainable Industrial Transformation towards Tanzania Development Vision 2050,” brings together researchers, academics, engineers and industry professionals to share knowledge, research findings and technological innovations. It covers fields including energy, manufacturing, automation, artificial intelligence, digital transformation, industrial sustainability and the blue economy.