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Kenya Plunged into Darkness for the Third Time in Four Months
Kenya was plunged into darkness on Sunday in its third nationwide blackout in the past four months, with officials suspecting possible sabotage. The outage hit at about 8:00 PM time and disrupted several services, including the main airport in the capital, Nairobi.
Two terminals at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) were without power for several hours, causing anger and frustration among Kenyans who have been demanding answers for the recurring power disruptions.
Transport Minister Kipchumba Murkomen, who has been criticized for the slow response to the power outage at JKIA, requested an investigation into possible sabotage. He stated that the frequency of the outages and the strategic importance of JKIA necessitate a thorough investigation.
“We are making a formal request to the National Police Service to investigate possible acts of sabotage and coverup,” he said.
This is not the first time Kenya has experienced a nationwide power outage this year. In August, the country suffered its longest blackout in recent years. Despite earlier promises from Mr. Murkomen to prevent future outages at JKIA, Sunday’s incident highlights the continued challenges with the country’s power grid.
Some Kenyans have suggested that the power cuts could be a deliberate act to justify the privatization of the state-run electricity provider, Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC). Others have blamed KPLC’s incompetence for the blackouts.
Power had been restored to most of the country by Monday afternoon, though some parts of Nairobi and the Coast region remained without electricity throughout Monday.
Kenya Plans Load-Shedding to Protect Power Grid
Kenya’s Energy Cabinet Secretary, Davis Chirchir, announced Monday, Dec 11 that the government is considering implementing scheduled power outages, known as load-shedding, to protect the national power grid from overloading.
Speaking to journalists, Chirchir attributed the recent nationwide blackout on Sunday, December 10th, to an overload on a transmission line in western Kenya. He assured the public that swift action was being taken to address the situation.
“One of the mitigation measures we will be exploring with the engineers is load-shedding,” Chirchir stated.
He explained that the proposed load-shedding would involve strategically reducing power supply in specific areas with limited transmission capacity. However, he emphasized that this does not indicate a power shortage in the country, but rather a preventative measure to avoid overloading the infrastructure.
“Instead of overloading a line and causing a nationwide outage, we will remove some power demand from the line, allowing it to carry the amount it was designed for,” Chirchir explained.
The Energy CS also acknowledged the challenges in the power supply system and outlined proposed solutions, including the construction of an alternative power line from Olkaria to Narok, Bomet, and Awendo to support the western region. This project, funded by South Korea and the African Development Bank, is in its initial stages and is expected to be completed within the next 20 months.
Chirchir’s announcement comes after a country-wide blackout on Sunday evening, the third major outage this year, which lasted several hours.
DP Gachagua defends Murkomen, Blames Previous Regime for Generator Failures
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua took center stage in the ongoing saga surrounding Jomo Kenyatta International Airport’s (JKIA) recent power outages, defending embattled Roads Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen and pointing fingers at the previous administration.
Speaking at a goat auction in Baringo County, Gachagua dismissed calls for Murkomen’s resignation, arguing that blaming him for “fake generators” bought by the previous government was unfair. He urged Kenyans to offer patience and understanding as the new administration grapples with a lot of things in a bad state.
“He is trying but there are a few people who are condemning him and demanding that he resign over failing power generators at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Kipchumba did not buy the generators. It is the previous regime that bought the fake generators,” Gachagua said.
“Let us not criticise leaders unnecessarily. We found a lot of things in a bad state when we took over power. What we are trying to do now is to rectify the situation,” he added.
However, the DP’s words haven’t silenced critics like Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei, who maintains that Murkomen’s failure to grasp the ministry’s complexities exacerbates JKIA’s issues. Cherargei specifically called out the stand-by generator failures and leaking roof as indicative of deeper systemic problems, not sabotage as Murkomen suggested.
This isn’t the first time Murkomen has faced heat over JKIA. Back in August, Senators Dan Maanzo and Danson Mungatana demanded his and Energy Minister Davis Chirchir’s resignation after a nationwide blackout threatened planes landing at the airport.
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