The Kenya Power has announced an electricity outage to be experienced in 28 neighbourhoods in the lakeside City of Kisumu County.
In a statement the power utility explained that the outage was to allow for the upgrade of the Olkaria-Lessos-Kibos High Voltage Power line that connects the region. The regions to be affected include; Kisumu CBD, Industrial Area-Sabuni Road, Milimani, Kondele, Nyamasaria, Nyalenda, United Millers, Equator Bottlers Limited, Kenya Industrial Estates, Kenya Pipeline Corporation, Bandani, Kenya Breweries, Abyssinia Steel Mills and Kisumu Water and Sewerage Company (Kenya).
Others areas are Mambo Leo, Kanyakwar, Kisumu Specialists Hospital, Ukweli, Aga Khan Hospital, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Referal Hospital, Tom Mboya Estate, Dunga, Manyatta, Migosi, Lolwe, Kenya Re, Kibos and their adjacent customers. The blackout is expected to take effect on Monday, May 24, beginning 12:00 p.m. till 6:00 p.m.
Aged transmission line
“We wish to inform our customers that power supply will be interrupted in parts of Western Region on Monday, May 24, 2021, to enable construction works for the proposed Olkaria-Lessos-Kibos 400kV line being undertaken by the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (KETRACO). The power line will enhance power capacity, and improve the quality and reliability of supply in the region,” read the statement in part.
Energy CS Charles Keter had initially noted that the current transmission line had aged with the new one facing challenges that saw it fail to meet the initial completion date of 2018. Keter further noted that the Western Kenya region was the worst affected by the outages since Kenya Power had to turn off one line in order to fully supply the other.
The construction of the Olkaria – Lessos Kisumu project valued at Ksh16 billion is being undertaken in three Lots; lots 1,2 and 3. Lot 1 involves the construction of the 229km 400kV double circuit transmission line from the Olkaria II substation to the Lessos substation.
