Nairobi Residents Protest Against Prolonged Power Outages

Kenya Power building in Nairobi CBD.
Kenya Power building in Nairobi CBD.
Photo
Kenya Power

Residents of Kamkunji in Nairobi, on Monday, January 30, protested delayed power restoration in the area blaming Kenya Power for failing to replace a transformer leaving them in the dark.

Owing to the unavailability of power for over a week, the residents claimed that the businessmen and women in the area were incurring huge losses.

The affected individuals also decried an increase in the cases of insecurity in the area because of the dark and appealed to President William Ruto to ensure that the matter was resolved. 

Kenya Power staff at work
Kenya Power staff attending to a transformer during a past maintenance exercise in Nairobi County.
Photo
Kenya Power

“We have been robbed several times in this area since the power outage. Women are vulnerable because they are the most targeted by the assailants,” a resident lamented.

Moreover, the residents doubted Kenya Power's reliability claiming that their efforts to reach out to the power company were futile.

“I have been calling the power company for several days. They gave me a reference number stating that they are sending someone. We have not seen anyone from the company in the area,” a resident noted. 

In addition, the Kamukunji residents claimed that they had been instructed by the power company to raise funds that would ensure the restoration of power. 

“They are telling us that there is an amount of money we should contribute. When we ask how they want to receive the funds, they don’t give any viable response,” the protestors explained.

The residents appealed to Ruto to resolve the matter stating that he had made a promise that power would be restored in all areas. 

“You know those who pay and those who do not pay, why are you punishing everyone?

“We don't know why officials from Kenya Power are going against the president’s directive. We are pleading with the president again. We need power in this area,” one of the residents stated.

While addressing the issue of power outages earlier, President William Ruto, on Friday, January 27, ordered Kenya Power to focus on connecting Kenyan homes to the national grid.

“Go to every home that has illegally connected power and install the meters properly.

“I would like to reiterate that Kenya Power and Nairobi County Government officials should agree on how to reconnect the homes that were disconnected,” Ruto directed.

President William Ruto speaking during the launch of affordable housing projects in Shauri Moyo, Nairobi County.
President William Ruto speaking during the launch of affordable housing projects in Shauri Moyo, Nairobi County.
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