Nationwide blackout in Kenya after powerline collapse
Kenya experienced a power outage, the third of its kind in four years, after a power line linking the capital city of Nairobi to a hydroelectric dam went offline.
Kenya Power said the outage on its grid happened after towers supporting the high voltage power line linking Nairobi to the Kiambere hydroelectric dam collapsed.
“We have lost power supply due to collapsed towers on Kiambere – Embakasi high voltage transmission power line at 10:45 a.m. (0745 GMT) this morning,” Kenya Power said in a statement on its Twitter account.
The company did not say what had caused the transmission line collapse, nor did it release an estimate on how long repairs would take.
The outage, which was reported around 10:45 a.m., lasted about four hours before being restored to parts of the country after repair works by the Kenya Power engineers.
Reuters reports that power had been restored to all parts of the country except Kitui, Mwingi and Garissa which it expected to reconnect supply by 6:00 p.m.
Kenya Power is the country’s sole electricity distributor and the bulk of its power comes from Kenya Electricity Generating Company.
The power outage on Tuesday comes barely two weeks after the state-controlled utility firm and Kenya Electricity Transmission Company restored power transmission from 310.25-megawatt Lake Turkana Wind Power on Loiyangalani line to the Suswa substation which had collapsed in December.
This led to power rationing in some parts of the country, including Nairobi, while repairs carried on.
In December, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta issued a directive to Kenya Power to reduce the price of electricity, with a 15 per cent cut in costs for December 2021 and as further 15 per cent reduction for the first quarter of 2022.
We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.
More from Peoples Gazette
Agriculture
FG tasks ECOWAS on leveraging financing strategies for agroecology
The federal government has urged stakeholders in the agriculture and finance sectors in the West Africa region to leverage financing strategies to enhance agroecology practices
Politics
Katsina youths pledge to deliver over 2 million votes to Atiku
“Katsina State is Atiku’s political base because it is his second home.”
States
Independence: NBA urges Nigerians to expect better future
The NBA said that ordinary Nigerians should be deriving benefit from the subsidy removal rather than hardship.
States
Gov Aliyu seeks collaboration to end insecurity in Sokoto
Mr Aliyu stressed the need for greater collaboration between the federal and state governments to fight banditry and other forms of criminality bedevilling parts of the country.
NationWide
Independence: NOA advises Nigerians to pray for leaders, support national development
The director urged the citizens to remain hopeful and shun violence, fake news and acts capable of undermining national cohesion.
States
Independence: Adamawa ADC governorship candidate urges job creation, adequate security
Mr Suleiman said, “Government must be measured not by the volume of promises it makes, but by the lives it changes.”
States
Gov Zulum highlights post-insurgency recovery, Kwara speaker urges selflessness
Mr Zulum highlighted the state’s post-insurgency recovery, citing the return of about two million displaced persons and the reconstruction of more than 30,000 buildings.
Opinion
Azu Ishiekwene: Tinubu and his incredible ministers
At a business lunch in December 2022, he said he shouldn’t be voted for a second term if he didn’t fix the electricity supply problem and end estimated billing in his first term.
