Kenya suffers partial grid collapse

Most of Kenya was cut off from electricity on Friday following major grid failures, grid operator and the energy ministry said.

The outage was blamed on two trips at a transmission line and on the Ethiopia-Kenya high voltage transmission line, Energy Minister Opiyo Wandayi said in a statement.

“The loss of 488MW, accounting for 27.3% of the total generation, resulted in cascade failure and a partial collapse of the grid,” Wandayi said.

“What we are witnessing today has built up over time and is a result of sub-optimal investment in infrastructure,” he said.

As of September 2024, Kenya has been experiencing frequent and widespread power outages. These blackouts have caused significant disruptions to businesses, households, and essential services across the country.