This archive report was first published on 16 July 2019.
On July 15, 2019, a steam pipe under construction burst at the Olkaria V Unit I plant in Naivasha, seriously injuring nine workers from H-Young Company.
The incident, which occurred while the workers were testing steam pressure, could derail plans by the Kenya Electricity Generating (KenGen) company to add an extra 83.3MW to the national grid by the end of the year.
Two of the workers were in critical condition and were referred to Nairobi for specialized treatment, while the others were taken to a Naivasha hospital.
According to one of the workers, who wished to remain anonymous, there were warnings from the system that there was too much pressure on the steam pipes, but they were ignored.
“There was a warning siren and those involved took too long to shut off the system before one of the pipes blew up, spilling the hot steam and crushing into other objects,” the worker said.
KenGen CEO Rebecca Miano stated that an investigation into the incident had begun, but declined to comment further, citing a meeting with other electricity producers.
