Thousands of Kenyans across ten counties will face a day-long power interruption this Tuesday, as Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) proceeds with a planned maintenance schedule. The utility company announced that the outages, lasting up to eight hours, are essential for routine network upkeep to ensure long-term stability.

The interruptions, scheduled from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EAT in most areas, will affect daily life and commerce in Nairobi, Kiambu, Makueni, Nyeri, Kericho, Bomet, Kakamega, and parts of the Coast region. This move is part of a broader strategy by KPLC to upgrade ageing infrastructure and prevent larger, unplanned blackouts that can cripple economic activity.

Nairobi and Mt. Kenya Regions Hit

In the capital, Nairobi, the outage will affect residents and businesses in areas including parts of Riverside Drive, the Ugandan and German High Commissions, Strathmore School, and Obama Estate. The disruption poses a significant challenge for businesses that rely on consistent power, forcing many to turn to costly alternatives like generators to maintain operations.

The Mt. Kenya region will also see significant downtime. In Nyeri County, areas such as Rongai, Narumoro, and Kiriani Town, including Kiriani Mission Hospital and several tea factories, will be without power. Kiambu County's interruptions will impact Kimende, Escarpment, and Kambaa, affecting facilities like the Carbacid Factory and Rukuma Level 4 Hospital.

Economic Ripple Effects Felt Countrywide

The planned blackouts extend to several other key economic hubs, highlighting the widespread impact on daily business and life. The affected areas include:

• Makueni County: Emali Town, Kalamba Fruit Factory, and surrounding markets will be affected.
• Kericho and Bomet Counties: Key agricultural areas and markets, including Kaitui Market and Olpisiai, will experience outages.
• Kakamega County: Areas including Shiatsala Market and Maobo TTI will be impacted.
• Coast Region: Parts of Malindi and Kanamai, including numerous hotels and resorts like North Coast Beach Hotel and Temple Point, will face interruptions.

Kenya Power has advised residents and businesses in the listed areas to make necessary preparations to minimize disruption. While the utility frames these outages as crucial for system reliability, they come at a time when many Kenyans are already grappling with the high cost of living, and for small businesses, a full day without power can mean a significant loss of income.

The company continues to invest in upgrading its network, having recently begun deploying a new Optical Character Recognition (OCR) system to improve billing accuracy. However, these maintenance schedules serve as a stark reminder of the infrastructure's ongoing needs and the daily economic reliance on a stable power grid.