Energy Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir revealed that the government is considering scheduled power outages, also known as load-shedding, to protect the power transmission network from overloading.
In a press conference on Monday, the CS blamed the recent power outage on Sunday, December 10, on an overload on a transmission line in western Kenya and promised swift action to remedy the situation.
“One of the mitigations that we will be going back with the engineers to sit on and give some straight answers as we look at you in the eye is load shedding,” said Chirchir.
According to the CS, the proposed load shedding would entail strategically reducing power in specific areas with severely constrained transmission lines.
He was quick to clarify, however, that the measure does not indicate a power shortage in the country, but rather aims to prevent overburdening the infrastructure.
“What will need to be done instead of overloading a line and causing the whole country to trip, we will be able to remove some figures and therefore lessen the power demand that flows through a line and be able to carry the amount of power which the line can carry,” he added.
Chirchir also acknowledged power supply challenges and outlined proposed solutions, including plans to build an alternative power line from Olkaria-Narok-Bomet-Awendo to support Western Kenya.
The project, which is being funded by South Korea and the Africa Development Bank, is currently in its early stages and is expected to be completed in about 20 months.
Chirchir’s announcement comes after a countrywide blackout on Sunday evening, the third this year that lasted several hours.
