This archive report was first published on 29 October 2019.
Kenya Power has made significant strides in reducing power outages, thanks to a Sh2 billion live line maintenance project launched recently.
The project, funded by the World Bank, aims to improve the reliability of power supply to customers, a crucial step in accelerating the country's development and growth.
According to Jared Othieno, acting Managing Director of Kenya Power, the live line maintenance will reduce the workforce needed to deal with power outages by 70%.
As part of the project, 144 live line maintenance staffers have been trained to change broken power poles, repair broken jumpers, and connect new customers to the grid without interrupting power supply.
The project has already seen a significant reduction in scheduled power outages, with a 40% decrease reported by Kenya Power.
Kenya Power invested Sh720 million in the first phase of the project, which focused on the 11kV, 33kV, and 66kV distribution lines that link homes and businesses to substations.
The parastatal's main focus is to bring down energy losses, which occur when a line is shut down for maintenance, resulting in efficiency losses.
"We believe that improving the reliability of power supply to our customers is crucial in accelerating the development and growth of our country," Othieno said.
