Kenya's 3-hour power outage linked to new Sh40B energy project

On Tuesday night, Kenya recently experienced a power blackout that affected most parts of the country.

According to Kenya Power, Western Kenya and parts of the North Rift region were the only areas unaffected by the outage.

Sources within Kenya Power have linked the unexpected outage to a technical glitch in the Kenya-Tanzania high-voltage power interconnector. 

This incident comes just five days after the launch of the Kenya-Tanzania power transmission line, a $309.26 million project intended to enhance regional power trade.

The Kenyan section of the interconnector project was financed by the government and the African Development Bank (AfDB) at approximately Sh1.9 billion and Sh3 billion respectively.

While the exact nature of the fault has not been disclosed, engineers at Kenya Power suggested that it originated in Tanzania, triggering widespread disruptions across Kenya.

This incident has raised questions about the stability of cross-border energy trade and the implications for the region's growing reliance on shared electricity grids. 

Kenya has increasingly depended on electricity imports from neighbours like Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Uganda, particularly as local generation struggles to meet demand. 

In 2023/24 FY, Kenya’s electricity imports rose significantly to 1,199.80 GWh, accounting for 8.8% of total energy, up from 644.07 GWh and 4.86% of gross energy in the previous year. 

Kenya-Tanzania Interconnector launch

The Kenya-Tanzania interconnector, part of the Eastern Africa Power Pool (EAPP), was designed to bolster energy trade and strengthen regional energy ties.

The 510-kilometer High Voltage Alternating Current (HVAC) line connects Isinya in Kenya to Singida in Tanzania, with substations in Arusha and Isinya playing key roles in facilitating the power flow.

Dr. Eng. John Mativo, Managing Director of KETRACO, highlighted during its launch that this infrastructure would ensure dependable electricity access and pave the way for renewable energy trade across East Africa. 

However, this recent outage underscores the potential vulnerabilities of such interconnected systems.

The EAPP currently comprises eleven member countries; Burundi, Djibouti, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. 

South Sudan and Somalia have also expressed interest in joining the pool.

By interconnecting national grids, the EAPP aims to lower electricity production costs across member countries.