Businesses in Nairobi, Mount Kenya and Coast region hit by power outage
A Kenya Power sub-station: The power utility firm has blamed a fault at one of its substation for the blackout. PHOTO | FILE
What you need to know:
Frequent power blackouts have seen many businesses install standby generators that come on during supply cut-offs, raising their operating costs.
Kenyans in Nairobi, Mount Kenya and the Coast have been hit by a power blackout, with Kenya Power blaming a technical fault at one of its substations for the interruption.
“A technical fault occurred at a Kenya Power substation in Ndenderu (Nairobi North Substation) this morning cutting off supplies from Olkaria geothermal fields to the City and causing a power outage affecting Nairobi, Coast and Mount Kenya regions,” the company said in a statement Monday morning.
The power distributor's General Manager for Network Management Eng Daniel Tare said the fault disrupted the power feed to the city, adding that technical teams were on the ground working to restore supply.
This is the first major outage this year, disrupting industrial activities in the capital where most businesses including salons, offices, hotels and many others rely on power to run operations.
Frequent power blackouts have seen many businesses install standby generators that come on during supply cut-offs, raising their operating costs.
Power outages have in the past been blamed on vandalism and an old power distribution infrastructure that is currently being upgraded.
Old wooden poles are being replaced with new concrete ones for high voltage lines.
Update:
Kenya Power has restored supply to parts of Nairobi and Mount Kenya regions, with Eng Tare saying efforts were being made to restore supply to the Coast region.
“We are now in the process of normalising supplies to Coast region,” he said.
