Power outage plunges multiple Kenyan Counties into darkness on December 10
A widespread power outage struck several parts of the country, leaving residents in Nairobi and beyond grappling with darkness on Sunday evening.
As the clock approached 8 pm, a myriad of areas experienced an unexpected blackout, including Kisumu, Mombasa’s Saba Saba, Bomet, Tana River, Nanyuki, Kakamega, Lamu, Murang’a, Nakuru, Makueni, Tharaka-Nithi, and Machakos Junction.
Notably, even the Kenya Power offices in Kisumu found themselves in the grip of the blackout, as well as critical locations like Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) terminals, amplifying the inconvenience caused by the outage.
Surprisingly, Kenya Power has yet to issue an official statement regarding the power outage, leaving residents and businesses in the affected areas in the dark, both literally and figuratively.
The lack of communication has sparked frustration among Kenyans, with many taking to social media to express their disappointment.
On Saturday, December 9, Kenya Power had announced the planned outages in three counties, scheduled to last from 9am to 5pm.
The company, in a tweet on X, stated, “The listed areas will be affected by planned power interruptions tomorrow (10th December 2023). The interruption is part of network maintenance.”
However, the abrupt nature of the nationwide blackout has caught many off guard, prompting calls for a swift response from Kenya Power to clarify the situation and provide an update on when power is expected to be restored.
Over an hour later, Kenya Power put ot a statement saying, “We have lost electricity supply to various parts of the country due to a suspected fault affecting the power system. We are working to restore normalcy within the shortest time possible. An update on the restoration progress will be issued in due course. We apologise to our customers for the inconvenience caused.”
As businesses and households grapple with the unexpected power disruption, the incident highlights the vulnerability of the country’s power infrastructure and the need for improved communication and transparency from Kenya Power during such events.