Energy CS Wandayi Pledges Enhanced Power Restoration After Nationwide Blackout

Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi has assured the public of enhanced restoration efforts aimed at reducing future blackouts.

His statement follows the recent nationwide power outage that left millions of Kenyans without electricity. Speaking during an event in Yatta constituency to inaugurate new projects by the Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC), Wandayi highlighted the government's commitment to improving the reliability of power supply.

Acknowledging the difficulties posed by the outage, which was attributed to a technical issue in the Tanzania-Kenya interconnector, Wandayi commends the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) for their rapid response, despite the incident occurring at an inconvenient time. Wandayi notes a significant reduction in the frequency of blackouts, emphasizing the government's dedication to minimizing the duration of any future interruptions.

He reassures citizens that the Ministry, alongside REREC and KPLC, is actively working to prevent unforeseen outages and enhance the overall stability of the power system. This reassurance comes in light of a previous blackout in September, which left various regions in darkness for most of the night.

At that time, Wandayi faced increased scrutiny as a newly appointed official and was tasked with explaining the causes behind the blackout and detailing the government's response. The September incident was traced back to a trip on the Suswa substation powerline and a subsequent failure of the Ethiopia-Kenya 500kV interconnector, resulting in a loss of 488 megawatts—approximately 27.3% of the country's total electricity generation capacity.

The government is currently under financial pressure to modernize the ageing power infrastructure, actively seeking partnerships with private investors to facilitate these essential upgrades. Data reveal that Kenya’s energy generation is predominantly based on renewable sources, which contribute about 80% of the total output.

Specifically, geothermal energy accounts for 47%, hydroelectric power makes up 30%, and wind and solar energy collectively represent around 13%.