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Garissa residents demand KPLC action as blackouts shadow Ramadan

Kenya Power technicians repair a collapsed high-voltage electricity transmission pylon. (Photo: File)

By Abdimalik Hajir | Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Ahead of Ramadan, locals protested, accusing the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) of carelessness and negligence.

Since the holy month of Ramadan began, Garissa Town has witnessed intermittent power outages and cases of low voltage that have been linked to an insufficient number of transformers.

Ahead of the season, locals protested, accusing the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) of carelessness and negligence. They noted that they experience this every year, yet Ramadan is a period when they are in more need of a consistent power supply.

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Resident Mohamud Ahmed said, "This month we pray at night during tarawih yet the power has been going on and off and the lighting sometimes becomes too dim."

He noted that electronic devices could malfunction as a result of low voltage.

Another resident, Halima Noor, claimed the KPLC tends to either ration or stop supply during Ramadan, a situation she described as "worrying".

"I call on local political leaders to take up the matter with Kenya Power officials and address it once and for all," she said.

A senior Kenya Power official, who spoke to The Eastleigh Voice on condition of anonymity, explained that the low voltage results from mass power consumption.

"During Ramadan, many households use power at the same time, especially in the evening. Many households are likely consuming a lot of power at the same time, which exerts pressure on the transformer, which most likely is serving beyond capacity."

Ideally, the official said, each transformer is supposed to serve about 1,200 customers, but the number is as high as 3,000 in Garissa.

"The solution is to install more transformers to avoid low voltage during consumption."

On March 10, 2024, during a graduation ceremony at Madrasah Hafsa bint Sirin, Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale reassured locals, saying he would meet Kenya Power officials to address the matter.

"When I go back to Nairobi, I will call the leadership of KPLC to discuss the power problems in Garissa," he said.