Kenya Power can't supply reliable energy, but they won't let you use solar either

Kenya Power electricians in operation.[File, Standard]

I have no idea what folks at Electricity House have been smoking (because they have been so fired up) and they are promising fire and brimstone on anyone who dares install solar systems to power their homes.

For those who are unfamiliar with the quality of service provided by Kenya Power, they are a power unto themselves because they decree who lives in darkness and whose path is illuminated. Response to applications for new connections usually depends on who you know, how and for how long.

In any case, a connection doesn’t guarantee supply. Power supply is disrupted at the least of hint or wind or rainfall, a science that only applies to Kenya Power. So many Kenyans have had enough of this Kenya Power nonsense and switched to solar. After all, the sun shines on our land almost day and night, every day of the year.

From the suspect stuff that those folks are smoking, and from the panic of seeing old customers leave in droves, I understand nearly one in three consumers have turned to solar energy. Now those power men and women claim that those solar connections are “dumping” excess energy on their networks and they should be penalised! Jesus son of Mary, where do we get such delusional chaps?

The last time I was majuu, my friend and I were accosted by a salesman at a supermarket. He was offering free solar installations. All they needed was one to sign up with the utility provider. The equipment and installation was provided for free. This was possible because that particular State was subsidising the production of solar equipment for their citizens.

The buy-in for solar companies was that homes would be run on clean, renewable energy and the extra power harnessed from the infrastructure would be sold on the market. That’s what one can call a win-win situation.

Since then, my friend has had no power bills and he’s guaranteed of a regular cheque at the end of the year. After investing hundreds of thousands on solar, on the other hand, Kenyans are faced with the spectre of threats from a State agency that has failed to provide efficient and reliable power supply. Bure kabisa.