Update: Energy CS, Charles Keter addressed the nationwide blackout while speaking with Citizen TV on Saturday, May 9.
"We lost our mainline at around 10 minutes to 6 a.m. The mainline starts at Olkaria and goes through Suswa and Dandora towards Kiambu. A mechanical problem on an insulator brought down the whole network. Remember, a line passing through Olkaria, Suswa, Embakasi, was vandalised about a month ago.
"It's about two years since we had a national blackout. Electricity has been restored in most parts of the country and we expect the whole country to have power restored within a short time. We are on one system with Uganda, we lost ours ten minutes to 6 a.m. they lost theirs at around 6:30 a.m. We have lines going all the way from Olkaria to Jinja, Uganda," Keter stated.
Kenya Power acted swiftly to restore power after Kenyans were caught off guard by a nationwide blackout.
In a video seen by Kenyans.co.ke, on Saturday, May 9, Kenya Power technicians were spotted fixing the blackout by performing high-risk manoeuvres while hanging from a chopper.
The video shot from Tower 26 in Kiambu, showcased the prowess of the technicians and pilots as the chopper hang above the electric lines as the electrician repaired the transmission lines.
Some of the areas in which power was restored first included Nairobi CBD and Machakos County.
"Our engineers are working to identify and address the hitch, towards restoring normal electricity supply," a statement by the firm read in part, further apologising for the inconvenience caused.
With cases of electrocution reported in past blackouts, Kenya Power opted for the safest way to avoid death reports.
On March 6, 2020, a report by Kenya News Agency (KNA) detailed that a Webuye based Kenya Power employee was electrocuted as he attempted to fix a problem while atop a pole at Mbakalo, Tongaren Constituency in Bungoma County.
Richard Kilonzo passed on while on a routine electricity lines checkup with a colleague. The cause of the electrocution was not revealed.
In 2015, another of the firm's employees was also electrocuted in Bomet County while connecting a cable to a newly installed transformer. It was reported that power was switched back on before the operation was completed.
"Our engineers are working to identify and address the hitch, towards restoring normal electricity supply," a statement by the firm read in part, further apologising for the inconvenience caused.
Kenya Power had earlier notified of an expected outage in Kisii county on May 9, areas around; Kenya Power Depot, Daraja Mbili Secondary School, Cereals Board, Ouru Stores, Industrial Area, Denmark Petrol Station and adjacent areas.
Video:
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