This archive report was first published on 17 June 2020.
June 17, 2020, marked a day of reckoning for Kenya Power, the country's national electricity supplier. In an article published on Business Daily Africa, Jenny Luesby highlighted the company's incompetence in maintaining electricity supply, leaving residents of Kasarani and other suburbs without power for hours on end.
According to Luesby, the situation has become dire, with many residents working from home and relying on power and internet to work. The frequent power cuts have not only affected their work but also their livelihoods, with some losing valuable work opportunities due to the lack of electricity.
Kenya Power's schedule of power cuts has become a norm, with residents expecting to experience power outages at any given time. However, this is not the case in most countries, where power cuts are a rarity. In fact, some countries have not experienced a power cut in over 20 years.
As Luesby pointed out, the time has come to stop scheduling power cuts and to hold Kenya Power accountable for its actions. The company's executives need to understand that a schedule of power cuts is not acceptable and that it is their responsibility to ensure that electricity supply is maintained at all times.
According to a report by PWC, 88% of respondents expect an overhaul of the country's electricity business models in this decade. This is a welcome relief, as it will bring competition and alternative supplies to the market, putting an end to Kenya Power's monopoly.
As Luesby concluded, it is time to lose our useless and incompetent power-cutting monopoly and to welcome competition and alternative suppliers. The country has amazing business leaders who can supply electricity that stays on, and it is time to laud them and support them.
