Africa-Press – Kenya. The Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) issued a statement on late Wednesday, June 16, announcing a planned shutdown of power supply in Kisumu City.
It is to allow the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company Limited (KETRACO) to conduct ongoing work on the 220 kV Olkaria-Lessos-Kisumu line that is expected to stabilize power supply within Western Kenya.
The power interruption is scheduled to take place between 7.00 am and 4.00 pm which will affect the company’s stakeholders based in Kisumu’s Central Business District, residential areas and adjacent areas detailed in the statement.
The areas affected include Sea Food, Mombasa Millers, Pabari Enterprise, Sabuni Road, United Millers, Equator Bottlers Ltd, Industrial Estate, Pipeline Estate, Bandani, Airport, Kenya Breweries Ltd, Kisumu Concrete, Abyssinia Steel Mills, KIWASCO, Mambo Le, Kanyakwar, Highrise Estate.
Other areas include Kisumu Specialist Hospital, St Monicah Hospital, Ukweli P&D Center, Wigots Hote, Aga Khan Hospital, Mamba Hotel, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Referral Hospital, Tom Mboya Estate, Little Gem Hotel, Naivas and Tuskys Supermarkets, Makasembo estate, Patel Flats, Whole of Kisumu CBD, Oginga Odinga Street, Accra Street, Obote Road, Sunset Hotel, Kisumu Hotel, Sovereign Hotel, Nyanza Club Milimani, Nyalenda, Dunga, Milimani, Manyatta, Carwash, Migosi, Lolwe, Kenya Re, Kibos Sugar, Kibos White Coal and adjacent customers.
The company earlier on May 23, issued a similar statement stating the blackout taking effect on May 24, for the upgrade of the high voltage power line connecting the region.
Energy CS Charles Keter spoke earlier in March addressing the aging of the current transmission line with the new one facing challenges that saw it fail to meet the initial completion date of 2018.
The 228-kilometre project estimated at Ksh16 billion is supported by Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA), the financier of the project.
The mentioned project seeks to strengthen the national grid, evacuate power from Olkaria to Western Kenya, and facilitate power exchange between Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda.
The Olkaria- Lessos Kisumu project will be undertaken in three lots; Lot 1, Lot 2, and Lot 3. Lot 1 consists of the construction of the double circuit transmission line from Olkaria II to Lessos with its foundation and erection works complete.
Lot 2 involves the 79-kilometre transmission line from Lessos substation to Kibos substation and 132 kV from Kibos to Kisumu.
Lot 3 consists of Kibos substation and an extension of the existing Lessos and Olkaria II substations.
