Thousands of Kenyans across eight counties will face a day-long power interruption this Thursday, December 4, as the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) conducts scheduled system maintenance.

The utility company announced the planned outage is necessary to carry out periodic upgrades and repairs to improve the grid's reliability. For countless small businesses, from salons to workshops, and families relying on consistent power, this means a day of significant disruption, forcing them to find alternative power sources or face a halt in activities.

Who Is Affected and For How Long?

The maintenance is scheduled to last for up to nine hours in some areas, generally starting between 8:00 AM and 9:00 AM EAT and concluding by 5:00 PM EAT. The specific counties and key areas impacted by the shutdown include:

• Nairobi: Parts of Nairobi North (including areas around Nairobi National Polytechnic and Ushirika Estate) and Nairobi South (Tassia NGO area).
• Kiambu: Areas such as Kwa Maiko, Marige, Miguta, Uthiru Shopping Centre, and Kinoo.
• Kirinyaga: Makutano Town, Rukanga, and surrounding localities including Wachoro Boys Secondary School.
• Kilifi: Parts of Sabaki, affecting Mwembe Resort, Angels Bay, Marafa, and nearby customers.
• Taita Taveta: The whole of Maktau Town and its environs, including Lumo Conservancy and local hotels.
• Kakamega: The Chimoi area, including Kaburengu, Chekalini, and Bishop Njenga Girls High School.
• Bomet: An extended outage from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM will affect Dikirr, Mokondo, Kirindon and adjacent areas.
• Kericho: The area around Kapsoit Market is slated for interruption.

KPLC has consistently stated that these periodic interruptions are essential for long-term network stability. Residents and business owners in the listed areas are advised to make necessary arrangements to mitigate the impact of the outage.