Time to end the maddening power outages

Kenyans were outraged by a power outage that plunged the country into darkness on Saturday morning and the implausible explanation given by electricity utility firm Kenya Power Company.

In less than six weeks, two power outages have wreaked great havoc to businesses and households across the country. Not least when Kenya’s economic planners are boasting of a reliable electrical cycle good enough to attract investors.

What an irony that this should have happened on the week that the Presidency launched a series of self-promoting blitz that started with the progress in the energy sector on Monday.

Surely, Saturday’s wasn’t an act of God.

Yet the company seems to be getting away with murder quite so often, literally. The reason that it was all up to a “technical hitch’ was unconvincing. Provision of electricity shouldn’t be left to guess work.

Take the health facilities in faraway regions, which don’t have power generators with patients on life support or babies in incubators; how many lives were lost? Or Nairobi, which has quickly become the capital of the world.

In the recent past, Nairobi has hosted the who-is-who in the world; from US President Barack Obama; to Pope Francis; to international forums like WTO and UNCTAD and is looking forward to hosting the Japan-Africa summit (TICAD) later this month.

What a great inconvenience and embarrassment would a 5-hour blackout be to those hosting such feats?

Electricity affects us in more ways and its generation and distribution ceases to be a relationship between a firm and consumers. It is also a question of national security. Not at this point when the country is on high alert over terrorism.

Going forward, Kenya Power ought to invest in robust technology capable of promptly detecting faults with trouble-shooting capabilities.