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Revealed: If you live here, power outages will likely dim your life

By Edwin Okoth September 18th, 2020 2 min read

You are most likely to experience electricity supply interruption if you reside in Nairobi North comprising estates such as Roysambu, Runda, Githunguri, Baba Dogo and Kiambu.

Data from the Ministry of Energy shows that these zones experienced the highest frequency of outages over the period stretching July 2016 to July 2020.

Interruptions in Highridge, Westlands and Kitisuru also last between six and three hours per month, higher than the countrywide range of two to four hours per month.

Nairobi South, comprising most of the industrial area, also experience blackouts more than the country’s average.

Residents of Embakasi, Dandora, Mombasa road, Umoja, Tassia and Ruai also went through several outages ranging between two and half hours in July 2020 to the previous high of eight hours per month four years ago.

Those who live in Nairobi West, Lang’ata, Karen, Lavington, Kibera and Rongai experienced the least power interruptions according to the data.

Here, blackouts last as low as under two hours a month and has never shot beyond four hours since 2016.

POWER SUPPLY

Nairobi has particularly benefited from upgraded substations, allowing the city to receive electricity from different sources, creating an alternative power supply lines that keep homes and businesses connected whenever one line develops a fault.

Across the country, the length of time households and businesses are left in the dark has been reduced by half in the last four years after Kenya Power pumped billions of shillings to improve its electricity distribution infrastructure.

Energy CS Charles Keter said the country will still be able to make its electricity supply more reliable with further improvement in the distribution and transmission infrastructure.

“Once we complete the major transmission lines such as the Olkaria-Lesos-Kisumu line, there will be reduced interruptions like power rationing. We are also planning more investments comprising substations to minimise interruptions,” Mr Keter said.

Kenya power is also said to be sourcing for more equipment to segment scheduled interruptions to affect just the specific and minimal areas.