Kenya Power Managing Director Joseph Siror has explained the recent power outages and rationing experienced in various parts of the country, particularly in Western Kenya and South Nyanza regions. Speaking on Citizen TV’s The Explainer show, Mr. Siror attributed these challenges to limitations in the transmission network.
He stated that many areas, including Migori, Awendo, and Kisii, rely mostly on renewable energy sources, such as geothermal power in Olkaria. However, the transmission lines from Kibos in Kisumu to Awendo, covering a distance of about 500 kilometers, lead to increased transmission losses and operational difficulties.
“Wherever you have a very long line, serving any particular part of the country, it is prone to a lot of challenges. We have a major line called Olkaria where we have most of our rich Geothermal resources. We have a line that goes all the way to a place called Kibos in Kisumu, a distance of about 300 KM…from Kibos, we go to Muhoroni, a distance of about 40 kilometers…’’ Mr. Siror said.
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The Managing Director emphasized that long transmission lines are prone to numerous challenges and overload issues. He explained that the link between Muhoroni and Chemosit, which serves the Kisii region, faces capacity constraints, resulting in inadequate power supply.
Furthermore, Siror pointed out that the inconsistency in power supply is also due to the reliance on renewable energy sources like wind, solar, and water. He mentioned that the Lake Turkana Wind Power plant’s output was significantly lower than usual, leading to power consumption adjustments.
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To address these issues, Siror reassured the public that the government had approved a budget of Ksh16 billion to tackle the transmission link problem. This initiative aims to reduce the line distance from Kibos to Awendo from approximately 500 kilometers to around 80 kilometers by establishing a shorter link. By implementing this solution, Kenya Power anticipates a reduction in transmission losses and an improvement in the overall power supply situation.
