Widespread Power Blackout Hits Nairobi and Several Kenyan Regions
Kenya experienced a widespread electricity outage on Wednesday evening, leaving large parts of the country without power shortly after 8.30pm.
Kenya Power said the blackout affected Nairobi, the Coast, the Mt Kenya region and parts of the Central Rift. The outage caused major disruption in Nairobi. Much of the Central Business District lost electricity, forcing shops and restaurants along Kenyatta Avenue, Moi Avenue and Tom Mboya Street to close early.
Traffic lights across the city centre stopped working, causing heavy congestion as police officers and county marshals directed traffic manually. Commuters at Nairobi Railway Station and the Standard Gauge Railway terminal also reported service disruptions, while videos shared online showed passengers moving through dimly lit platforms.
The blackout also affected other parts of the country. Residents in Kiambu, Nakuru and the Shanzu area of Mombasa reported power cuts, while people living along Thika Road, including Kahawa Sukari, were also without electricity.
In Ongata Rongai, many homes lost power, although some areas, including Lang’ata and Kayole, remained connected. The varying impact highlighted the extent of the disruption, as parts of the North Rift and Western regions continued to receive electricity.
Kenya Power issued a customer alert at 9.05pm confirming the outage and apologising for the disruption. The utility said technical teams had been deployed to restore electricity as quickly as possible and that restoration work was continuing. It did not immediately identify the cause of the outage.
The blackout came a day after Kenya Power announced planned maintenance in Kisumu, Nyeri, Embu and Kirinyaga counties. Unlike those scheduled works, Wednesday’s outage was unexpected and affected a much larger area.
The incident followed a similar disruption in December 2025, when a fault on the national transmission network caused power cuts across several regions before supply was restored in stages. The outage disrupted businesses, transport services and households across the affected areas.
Many businesses closed early, commuters experienced delays and traffic congestion increased as key road junctions lost power.