This archive report was first published on 9 May 2020.
Kenya Power has identified a snapped tower conductor on the Olkaria-Nairobi power evacuation line as a possible cause of the nationwide power outage reported on Saturday morning.
According to a statement by Kenya Power Network Manager Charles Mwaura, the fault occurred near Kiambu town, leading to power loss on the power line and straining the output from other power generators, causing the outage.
"An electricity conductor came off the support insulators and clashed on the tower," Mwaura explained.
Despite the suspected cause, Kenya Power is still conducting an investigation to conclusively identify the hitch that caused the power outage.
On Saturday, Kenyans woke up to a nationwide power outage, with Kenya Power initially attributing the situation to a system disturbance on the transmission network.
However, the energy ministry had announced an upsurge in water levels in key hydroelectricity dams due to heavy rains and flooding in parts of the country.
Energy Cabinet Secretary Charles Keter had warned of a potential flood risk, citing the high water levels at Masinga Dam, which supports power production at the Masinga Hydroelectric Power Station.
"The maximum reservoir is 1,056.5 meters, and you can see it is above and therefore it is a serious issue. We’re telling the people who are downstream in Garissa all the way to Tana River to move," Keter said.
Kenya Power has managed to restore power supply in some parts of the country, with restoration efforts in other areas underway.
Published on May 9, 2020, at 2:59 PM.
