TUKO.co.ke journalist Wycliffe Musalia has over six years of experience in financial, business, technology, and climate reporting, which offers deep insights into Kenyan and global economic trends.

Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) consumers in Western Kenya will no longer experience frequent power outages.

The region was the most hit by the nationwide blackouts that affected the country for the better part of the year ending December 2024.

KPLC has invested about KSh1 billion to expand electricity infrastructure in the region, as part of its commitment to enhance electricity connectivity and reliability to domestic and industrial consumers in the region.

The initiative will enhance power supply in 11 counties, including Kisumu, Homabay, Migori, Kisii, Nyamira, Siaya, Vihiga, Busia, Kericho, Bomet, and Kakamega.

Kenya Power Managing Director and CEO Joseph Siror said the Company is committed to providing quality and reliable electricity to drive the country's economic growth.

"We focus more on adequate and reliable supply of electricity that will transform lives, by supporting trade and manufacturing among other key sectors of the country's economy.

"The KSh 1 billion investment will help construct additional power lines in the Western Kenya region to improve electricity reliability," said Siror.

Siror said the programme is underway and has several completed projects including:

The MD added that the two projects will complement KETRACO's ongoing construction of the 132kV line from Thurdibuoro to the Ndhiwa substation.

The line is expected to facilitate the evacuation of power from Sondu Miriu to South Nyanza and South Rift counties and relieve the overloaded Muhoroni-Chemosit 132kV line while creating power supply redundancy to these counties.

In 2024, KPLC partnered with the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, unveiling a backup National Control Centre to minimise these outages.

Siror revealed that the facility was set up in the Coast region at a cost of KSh 50 million.

In December 2024, Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi commended Kenya Power for addressing issues of blackouts efficiently.

According to Wandayi, instances of power blackouts in the country have gone down since he took office.

Wandayi said the Kenya Kwanza administration is working round the clock to end the constant power outage.

Source: TUKO.co.ke