Africa-Press – Kenya. With the onset of the rainy season, Kenyans have been complaining about frequent power outages associated with wet weather.
The phenomenon is so rampant that Kenya Power acknowledged how Kenyans joke that the company doesn’t like its power lines being rained on.
“The rainy season is here with us again and whilst it’s usually a blessing, rains do sometimes cause a few inconveniences such as power outages which some of our customers jokingly refer to as ‘kuanua stima’,” the firm noted.
However, the electricity distributor explained that because rains are mostly accompanied by strong winds, they sometimes snap tree branches or uproot whole trees causing them to fall on power lines which ends up disrupting the power supply.
In other instances, wet tree branches touching power lines create a ‘pathway’ for electric charge to flow between the power conductors to the ground leading to a short circuit which in turn causes an outage.
In light of the threat trees pose to power lines, Kenya Power cautioned Kenyans against cutting down trees that are along or close to the power lines, due to the risk of electrocution.
The company has in the past launched exercises to prune or cut down trees which are likely to affect power lines.
Kenyans can report power outages through the company’s Twitter handle by accompanying the alert with their meter number and close landmark for easy tracing.
The company has also provided other avenues for reporting through its mobile app or dialling *977#.
Whenever there is a power outage, it is important to take the following precautions to avoid damage to equipment or loss of life.
Turn off all tools, appliances and home electronic equipment to avoid load issues when power is restored.
Switch off all lights, except one inside and outside, so crews outside know power has been restored.
When power has been restored, use it sparingly during the first few hours to prevent system overload, which can cause further outages.
If you have a standby heating unit, ensure that it is properly vented and turn it on before the house gets too cold.
Keep your refrigerator and freezer closed as much as possible. The contents should be good for 24-48 hours if the door is kept closed.
