Step up efforts to curb frequent power outages

A former avid critic of the perennial power outages by Kenya Power, new Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi is having a baptism by fire. In the past one week, the country has suffered two major blackouts.

He has explained that Friday’s power failure was caused by a partial collapse of the national grid due to a hitch at a substation. The loss of 488 megawatts, or some 27.3 per cent of the total generation affected most regions.

Interestingly, when President William Ruto graced a ceremony in CS Wandayi’s rural home in Siaya County, on August 30, to celebrate his appointment, the country suffered a massive outage, as if to remind him that the work must be urgently done.

The new CS has blamed inadequate investment in energy infrastructure for the frequent blackouts. The eloquent explanations, including the acknowledgement that ageing transmission lines have exposed businesses to huge final losses, are okay, but consumers expect lasting solutions.

Unreliable national grid

Since December, blackouts averaging nine hours in a month have highlighted the impact of the unreliable national grid. Heavy commercial and industrial firms, which account for 54 per cent of Kenya Power’s electricity sales, are the biggest losers.

CS Wandayi has cautioned against expecting quick fixes. But that is precisely why the former top ODM official was tapped for the job. It was not to explain, but to get things done. The several grid resilience projects he says are already in progress, should be speeded up. 

The blackouts also compromise security in the towns and rural areas, including the terrorism-prone northern regions. Significant disruptions in businesses and households occur, with some places taking up to 24 hours to restore electricity.

In the financial year ending June, the power utility posted a Sh3 billion net loss, despite enjoying a near-monopoly status. There is a need to curb corruption and mismanagement and enhance efficiency.