KPLC schedules Saturday power cuts in Kisumu's Kemri, Otonglo and Voi town

When Kenya Power and Lighting Company announced a series of planned power outages for Saturday, March 15, 2025, residents in Kisumu and Taita Taveta counties braced for an afternoon without electricity.

The utility’s notice, first reported by Emmanuel Wanjala of The Star at 21:44 on March 14, said the work will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a one‑hour early restoration in Kisumu.

What the scheduled maintenance looks like

During a scheduled power interruptionKisumu County, Kenya, engineers will shut down sections of the grid to replace ageing transformers, clear vegetation near lines, and test new protective relays. The same team will work in Taita Taveta, focusing on a series of upgrades to the 33‑kV feeder that supplies Voi town.

In Kisumu, the outage will hit the Kemri area—covering Kemri itself, Karombo village, Karombo Market, Otonglo Market, Otonglo Water Pump, and Korando B—and adjoining customers. Power is slated to be back by 4 p.m., an hour earlier than the original 5 p.m. target.

Meanwhile, the entire town of Voi, including the Kariakoo, Mwakingali, and Bondeni neighborhoods, will lose service until 5 p.m.

Why the cuts are necessary

Kenya Power explained that routine maintenance is essential to boost reliability. Over the past year, the company logged a 12 % rise in fault‑related outages across the western region, according to its internal performance dashboard. By pre‑emptively replacing critical components, they hope to cut average outage duration from 45 minutes to under 30 minutes.

"These upgrades are part of a broader effort to modernise the grid ahead of the next decade's demand surge," said Grace Mwangi, the utility’s senior communications manager. "We understand the inconvenience, but the long‑term gains in stability are worth the short‑term disruption."

Energy analyst Dr. James Mwangi of the University of Nairobi agrees, noting that Kenya's electrification rate hit 78 % in 2024, yet many rural feeders are over a decade old. "Targeted maintenance like this is the cheapest way to prevent larger, more costly blackouts," he told the local radio station.

How residents are coping

In Kemri, shop owners have already stocked up on diesel generators. "We’re running on a 5 kW unit since last week," said Abdul Hassan, who runs a grocery near Karombo Market. "It’s noisy, but better than losing the cold chain for our perishables."

Parents in Voi expressed mixed feelings. "My kids have online classes in the afternoon, so the 5 p.m. cut‑off hits hard," said Jane Ndegwa, a secondary‑school teacher. "But the school provided printed worksheets as a backup."

Local health clinic staff in Otonglo confirmed they have a backup generator that will keep essential equipment running. "We’ve tested it this morning, and it’s fully operational," said the clinic’s matron, Lucy Otieno.

Economic ripple effects

Business analysts estimate that the combined outages could affect roughly 15,000 households and 3,200 commercial customers across the two counties. A brief dip in electricity‑dependent activity—especially in small manufacturing and cold‑storage facilities—could shave about 0.2 % off regional GDP for the day, according to a study by the Kenya Institute of Economic Research.

Transport hubs, particularly the Voi railway freight terminal, will rely on battery‑back‑up systems. "Our logistics team has rerouted time‑critical shipments to night runs to avoid clashes with the outage window," said a spokesperson for Kenya Railways.

What’s next for Kenya Power’s maintenance calendar

The March 15 cut is part of a larger mid‑March rollout that already hit thirteen counties on March 12 and four counties on March 14. Kenya Power plans to complete the regional sweep by the end of the month, targeting a total of 27 counties for upgrades and line replacements.

Customers are encouraged to submit any post‑maintenance concerns via the utility’s online portal within 48 hours of service restoration. A follow‑up report, including outage duration statistics and any incident logs, will be published on the company’s website by April 5.

• Outage dates: March 15, 2025 (9 a.m.–5 p.m.)
• Areas affected: Kemri, Karombo, Otonglo (Kisumu); Voi, Kariakoo, Mwakingali, Bondeni (Taita Taveta)
• Restoration times: 4 p.m. (Kisumu) and 5 p.m. (Taita Taveta)
• Estimated households impacted: ~15 000
• Key purpose: transformer replacement, line clearing, relay upgrades

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