Kenya Power Explains Mass Power Blackout During Presidential Debate

Kenya Power was put on the spot after consumers complained of blackout in various parts of the country.

In a statement on Tuesday evening, July 26, Kenya Power noted that the hour-long outage that hit parts of Western, Nyanza, Rift Valley and Nairobi North was occasioned by 'system disturbance.

The utility company explained that the power outage occurred after the Kisumu-Muhoroni high voltage transmission power line tripped several power circuits.

Kenya Power stated that normalcy was restored after their system engineers responded promptly and fixed the issue by by 9:07 pm.

Kenya Power building in Nairobi CBD.

File

"... a system disturbance at the Kisumu Muhoroni high voltage transmission power line that tripped several power circuits and affected power generation from Muhoroni Gas Turbine Station and Turkwell Hydropower Station," the statement read in part.

"The shortfall caused power outages in parts of Western, South Nyanza, North Rift, Central Rift and Nairobi North.

"Our system engineers immediately commenced restoration works and normalised power to all areas by 9:07pm. The Company regrets any inconvenience caused," the utility company noted.

Kenyans on social media called out the utility company noting that the system should not have failed while a crucial Presidential debate was happening.

Kenya Power has been on the spot due to such incidences. In January, a scandal emerged at the utility firm after the country was hit by a nationwide blackout. 

In a statement, KPLC revealed that it had lost power supply following the collapse of a tower at the Kiambere - Embakasi power line. 

However, the tune changed after Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) grilled 18 officials at the Kenya Power Company among them five senior officers over the collapse of four towers in the Nairobi-Kiambere Power transmission line.

The senior officials grilled by the DCI were: the Acting General Manager, Network Management, Chief Engineer Transmission countrywide, Countrywide Management Security Service Unit, the chief security officer Nairobi Region and a technician.

Image of DCI headquarters along Kiambu Road

Daily Nation

According to the team of investigators drawn from the Serious Crime Unit, Crime Scene Investigators and Forensic Photographic Investigators who visited the scene of the collapsed line, the basement of the angle towers of the Kenya Power high voltage power lines had been vandalized.

The investigators also found that the cross beams had been removed and unbolted in a scenario that had the angle towers caving in.