Kenya Turns to Uganda to Help Keep Lights On

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Kenya Power, the national electric utility company in Kenya, has reached out to Uganda for assistance in restoring imported electricity to address the power crisis in the country, writes Muhamadi Matovu for Nile Post. The outage, caused by a system disturbance, occurred on August 25, 2023 affecting many parts of Kenya. Passengers at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), were left stuck in darkness for extended periods at Nairobi's main airport. Footage from local media showed individuals using mobile phone torches to navigate the darkened airport. The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) reported that one of its standby generators did not function after the power grid went off. Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen apologised for the nationwide blackout that affected JKIA and promised to announce measures to prevent a recurrence after discussing with airport leaders. Murkomen also dismissed Alex Gitari, the head of Kenya's airports authority. The state-backed utility firm, enjoying a monopoly in Kenya, reported that the power outage was triggered by a loss of 270MW generation from the Lake Turkana Wind Power Plant (LTWP), resulting in an imbalance in the power system and subsequent shut down of other main generation units and stations.