Kenya is once again grappling with the fallout from a widespread power outage that has left significant portions of the country in darkness for over eight hours.
This latest blackout, which struck on Friday night, marks a significant test for the newly appointed Energy Cabinet Secretary, Opiyo Wandayi, who assumed office barely a month ago.
The timing could not be more critical, as Kenyans grow increasingly frustrated with the recurring power failures that have plagued the nation over the last two years.
The national utility company, Kenya Power, confirmed the outage, stating that while the North Rift and Western regions were spared, areas such as Nairobi, Voi, Murang’a, Embu, Lang’ata, Ongata Rongai, Kitale, Kericho, and Malindi were among those affected.
As of Saturday morning, parts of the Nairobi metropolitan area, including Kinoo and Ongata Rongai, remained without power, further exacerbating the situation.
This is not an isolated incident. Just last year, a similar blackout occurred in December, causing major disruptions in the manufacturing and aviation sectors. Former Energy Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir had reassured Kenyans that the government was working to upgrade transmission lines to prevent such occurrences.
However, the frequency and severity of these outages have only increased, undermining public confidence in the government’s ability to manage the nation’s energy needs.
The latest blackout is particularly concerning because it highlights the systemic issues within Kenya's power infrastructure. Despite promises of improvement, the nation’s power grid remains vulnerable to both technical failures and external factors.
Last May, a nationwide blackout was attributed to heavy downpours that disrupted the grid, while a previous incident was blamed on an overload in the Kisumu-Muhoroni line.
What remains troubling is the lack of clarity surrounding the causes of these blackouts. The most severe outage, which occurred on August 25, remains shrouded in mystery.
Kenya Power pointed fingers at Africa's largest wind farm for the failure, while the wind farm insisted that the fault lay with the power grid. This back-and-forth only serves to deepen public mistrust in the institutions responsible for keeping the lights on.
Kenyans are rightfully demanding answers and solutions. The recurring blackouts have not only disrupted daily life but have also had far-reaching economic consequences. Businesses, particularly in the manufacturing sector, have suffered losses due to unscheduled shutdowns. The aviation industry, too, has been hit hard, with flight schedules thrown into disarray, affecting both domestic and international travel.
The pressure is now on Cabinet Secretary Wandayi to address these issues head-on. His predecessor’s promises of upgrades and improvements have clearly not materialised, leaving him with the daunting task of restoring confidence in the country’s energy sector. by
