stored to some parts of the country affected by a nationwide blackout on Saturday and added that they are working on bringing it back to the remaining areas, the DW news reported.
“Initial reports indicate that the outage was caused by a fault that occurred on the Suswa-Loyangalani high-voltage power transmission line,” the power utility said in a statement. According to reports, the country’s sole electricity distributor said power was restored to Eldoret, Kisumu, and Nakuru, and electricity had also returned to at least one part of the capital, Nairobi.
The company buys the bulk of its power from the Kenya Electricity Generating Company. DW News reported that although widespread blackouts are relatively common in East Africa’s biggest economy, they do not usually affect the whole country of 53 million people. Later that month, three senior managers at Kenya Power were charged with sabotage and negligence.
Similarly, in mid-February, a blackout occurred in Kenya across the whole country. According to the power distributor, the affected areas experienced 8-hour power outages due to planned routine network maintenance.
Among the areas affected by the planned routine network maintenance in Nairobi were South BS/Centre, Mariakani Estate, Kenol, Elimu Sacco, Part of the Golden Gate, Balozi Estate, Mater Hospital, Highway Secondary School, KIMC, and South B Police Station.
Additionally, areas in Gacharage were also affected, including parts of Ruaka between Gacharage and Ndenderu Junction, National Oil Ndenderu, Shell Ndenderu, Banana, and adjacent areas.
Meanwhile, hundreds of traders held protests in Kenya’s capital city of Nairobi’s central business district, Kenya-based The Standard reported. The traders held protests over the infiltration of the Kenyan market by Chinese business people. Kenyan traders from downtown centers have said that the Chinese traders have driven them out of business and claimed that they were selling goods at affordable low rates.
Kenyan traders from downtown centers have said that the Chinese traders have driven them out of business and claimed that they were selling goods at affordable low rates.
The traders during the protests on February 28 held placards while marching through CBD streets, including Harambee Avenue, which hosts the offices of the president and deputy president. Police blocked the traders from holding protests on Haile Selassie Avenue and other major roads, as per the reports.
The protests have been reported at the time of the temporary closure of China Square, a major store on the Thika superhighway that offers various goods at discounted prices.
Speaking to The Standard, Peris, an electronics dealer at Nyamakima, said, “I’m here to protest against the Chinese traders’ invasion of the Kenyan market. The foreigners are playing the manufacturer’s and seller’s roles at the same time, which shouldn’t be the case. In Kenya, they are the distributors and retailers. They’ve locked us out of business.”
