Kenya Power partners with US firm to end wildlife electrocution

Kenya Power staff installing protective covers on power lines within the Soysambu Conservancy at hotspot areas where birds of prey perch. [Courtesy]

Kenya Power, through its Institute of Energy Studies and Research (IESR), has rolled out a wildlife protection project to safeguard birds of prey and other animals from electrocution.

The project will be implemented along sections of the country’s electricity network that are wildlife corridors, in partnership with US-based Kaddas Enterprises.

It involves retrofitting wildlife-friendly covers on sections of power lines that are considered hotspots for electrocution.

The project was kicked off at the Soysambu Conservancy, approximately 130 kilometers northwest of Nairobi, where electrocution of most birds of prey has been reported.

The Soysambu Conservancy is a critical habitat for Kenya's raptors such as the Augur Buzzard and Martial Eagle, species that utilise power lines and poles for perching and hunting.

“Wildlife is part of our national heritage which heavily drives our tourism sector. Equally, Kenya Power’s role in energy distribution is a key component of our country’s economic growth. Our aspiration is to ensure peaceful coexistence between nature and the energy infrastructure. Thus, at IESR, our focus is to develop solutions that support this co-existence and enhance business efficiency,” said Eng. Henry Pwani, Head of Research at IESR.

Electrocution of animals and human activities account for most cases of power outages, estimated to be approximately 50 per cent. Of these, 30 per cent are attributable to wildlife contact with power lines.

The five-year partnership between Kenya Power through IESR and Kaddas Enterprises is tipped to substantially reduce cases of electrocution of wildlife, as well as power outages resulting from these incidents.

“By safeguarding wildlife, we are also improving power supply reliability to give a better experience for our customers. This is a win-win situation to the environment and our business,” said Eng. Pwani, adding that IESR will continue to explore more solutions for the issues affecting the community where Kenya Power operates.

The Lanet – Naivasha Interconnector, which traverses Soysambu Conservancy, has faced power supply interruptions linked to electrocution of birds and animals such as giraffes.

 Lessons from the implementation of the wildlife protection project along this line will be instrumental in the rollout of the project across other areas within the country.

“This line serves a big part of Nakuru County and by undertaking this project here, we are looking forward to picking lessons that will be helpful as the project is rolled out to other hotspot areas across the country,” said Wesley Kerich, Kenya Power’s County Business Manager for Nakuru.

Beyond retrofitting wildlife-friendly covers on power lines, the partnership between Kenya Power’s IESR and Kaddas Enterprises also includes a training component targeting Kenya Power’s technical staff, that is intended to create awareness and develop champions to spearhead the wildlife protection agenda in designing the energy infrastructure.