Moyale, which is connected to the Ethiopian grid, relies heavily on electricity from Ethiopia although Kenya Power has backup diesel-powered generators.
Clashes between rival tribes in Ethiopia’s Region Four and Five have led to hundreds of deaths, displacement of families and destruction of transmission lines and transformers.
In March, a botched military operation meant to intercept anti-government elements led to the death of nine and saw more than 5000 refugees flee to Kenya.
The still ongoing clashes pit the Oromo from Region Four against the Gare clan from Region Five.
Kenyan officials are hoping that the new Somali Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed will fix border problems including power supply and insecurity.
[caption caption="Aerial view of Moyale town"]
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Ahmed is the first ethnic Oromo to become premier and is tasked with political reforms and national unity.
Officials from both Kenya and Ethiopia yesterday reported that power supply was affected following damage to transmission lines and transformers by rival groups.
Kenya Power was also faulted as their generators are old and two new generators they had brought from Nyeri and Nairobi to replace the old ones also malfunctioned.
“We rely on electricity from Ethiopia but tribal wars there have caused massive damage to power transmission lines and transformers,” engineer Joseph Njue of Kenya Power in Moyale told Standard.
Traders have been urging Kenya Power to connect them to their own grid as the outage has led to loss of business and is affecting them negatively.
[caption caption="Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed"]
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