NAIROBI, November 2 – A near nationwide power outage hit Kenya on Sunday morning lasting close to four hours in some places.
The Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) Customer Care Centre confirmed that the power went off at around 7.15am, affecting the entire country aside from some parts of Western Kenya and Nyanza.
Speaking to Capital Newsbeat on phone, KPLC Corporate Communications Deputy Manager, Migwi Theuri, said it was caused by a fault at their Juja Road Exchange Station.
In Nairobi and its environs electricity was back on just before 10.30am, while areas in Central province, Meru and its environs had their supply restored at 11am. The lakeside city of Kisumu and its environs were spared by the early morning blackout.
By noon, the larger Trans Nzoia and Bungoma districts had not had their supply restored.
Reports say areas affected include Kitale, parts of Eldoret, Kapenguria, Bungoma and Webuye.
In Coast Province meanwhile, the area KPLC Regional Public Relations boss Robert Mahaga said that they are yet to establish the cause of the blackout, which hit the coastal city at about 7.30am.
“What we can tell for now is that there was a problem with one of our major lines but we are yet to establish exactly what happened from our control,” he said.
There has been a spate of unexplained massive power outages blacking out large parts of the country in the recent past, sparking off a public outcry, with households, businesses, hospitals, schools and many other electricity users complaining about the interruptions.
However, the power company are yet to release an official statement explaining what might have caused the power failure.
The country suffered a similar blackout in May, which officials explained was caused by a transmission fault from its hydro-electric plants at the Kamburu power station.
The hydro-electric plants’ owners, official power generator KenGen, produces about 80 percent of electricity consumed in the country, using hydro, geothermal, thermal and wind resources.
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