Kenya has been plunged into a fourth national power blackout in 2023, with the latest incident occurring on Sunday, December 10th, 2023. This recent outage, affecting extensive regions of the country, has prompted the transport minister to demand an inquiry into potential acts of sabotage and cover-ups, particularly regarding the third nationwide outage within three months.
The sequence of power blackouts in 2023 commenced on Saturday, March 4th, followed by subsequent disruptions on Sunday, August 25th, Saturday, November 11th, and the most recent occurrence on December 10th. These repeated power failures have critically paralyzed crucial services and infrastructures, notably impacting the functionality of pivotal facilities such as the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi and Eldoret Airport. These disruptions have exacerbated the economic challenges faced by the nation.
The recent blackout, which commenced around 8 p.m., resulted in the disruption of vital services across the country, significantly affecting businesses and causing widespread inconvenience to the public. Kenya's struggle with soaring fuel prices has further aggravated the situation, leading to substantial financial losses across various sectors and intensifying the prevailing economic hardships.
Despite these challenges, Kenya remains a country rich in low-carbon energy resources such as geothermal, hydro, wind, and solar power. Over 81% of the nation's electricity generation is sourced from these environmentally friendly options, with more than half coming from geothermal energy, an abundant resource. Moreover, the excess geothermal energy produced during low-demand periods presents an opportunity for potential expansion. Increasing Kenya's geothermal capacity by at least eightfold could create avenues for scaling up green manufacturing capacity and potentially exporting surplus electricity to neighboring countries.
Addressing the persisting power issues requires urgent investigation and resolution to ensure the stability and reliability of the nation's power supply. Furthermore, harnessing Kenya's abundant renewable energy resources presents a promising avenue for economic growth, offering the potential for both domestic development and regional energy partnerships.