Energy CS reveals cause of recent nationwide blackout, vows faster power restoration

Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi has assured Kenyans that the government will work to restore power faster in the future, following the recent nationwide blackout that affected millions.

The CS, speaking during the launch of the Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC) projects in Yatta Constituency on Wednesday, revealed that the latest power outage was caused by a technical fault in the Tanzania-Kenya interconnector.

Wandayi affirmed the government's commitment to addressing power blackouts swiftly.

"The government will ensure that electricity blackouts are resolved in the shortest time possible," he said.

The CS also praised the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) for its quick response to the outage, despite the challenging timing.

"As a matter of fact, the frequency of blackouts has gone down, and even in those few instances where there are blackouts, we have taken the shortest time to restore power," Wandayi added.

He assured the public that efforts are underway to improve power restoration processes and minimise disruptions.

Similar blackouts

The recent outage was a reminder of similar blackouts, including one in September, when part of the country was left in darkness for hours.

During that incident, Wandayi had explained that the blackout was due to a trip on the Suswa substation powerline, combined with a failure of the Ethiopia-Kenya 500kV interconnector, which was carrying 200MW of electricity at the time.

This double failure led to a loss of 488MW, or 27.3 per cent of Kenya's total electricity generation capacity.

In addition to addressing technical failures, Wandayi acknowledged the financial pressures on Kenya's power infrastructure.

The CS confirmed that the government is actively seeking private partners and financiers to help restore and upgrade the country's ageing power infrastructure.

At present, Kenya's power supply is heavily dependent on renewable energy, with geothermal contributing 47 per cent, hydroelectric power accounting for 30 per cent, and wind and solar energy making up 13 per cent.

Wandayi assured Kenyans that the government, in collaboration with REREC and KPLC, is committed to ensuring a more reliable power supply.

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"We are up to speed, and Kenyans should be reassured that there will be no unusual power outages moving forward," he concluded.