Heavy rains flood South C substation, cause power outages

Heavy downpour leaves Nairobi streets flooded/FILE

Flooding triggered by heavy rains has disrupted electricity supply in several parts of Nairobi after water overwhelmed the South C substation, damaging key infrastructure and forcing power interruptions across multiple neighbourhoods.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Kenya Power confirmed that the floods affected its South C substation after part of the facility’s boundary wall collapsed during the heavy downpour that swept across Nairobi and its surrounding areas on Friday night.

The utility company said the flooding interfered with operations at the substation, leading to electricity outages in several estates and institutions that depend on the facility for power supply.

“The floods, unfortunately, caused flooding in our South C Substation after part of the boundary wall collapsed,” the statement read.

“As a result, electricity supply to parts of South B, South C, Nairobi West, Madaraka Estate, Strathmore, Dam Estate, Langata, Wilson Airport, Carnivore, Kenyatta Market, Ngumo Estate, Industrial Area, Uhuru Gardens, and surrounding areas has been affected.”

Kenya Power expressed sympathy to families and communities affected by the heavy rains, noting that the flooding had caused significant disruption not only to power supply but also to normal activities in the city.

“Our deepest sympathies go out to all families and communities affected by the heavy rains that swept across Nairobi and its environs,” the company said in the statement.

Engineers from the power utility have since been dispatched to the site to assess the extent of the damage caused by the floodwaters and to begin repair works on the affected equipment.

According to the company, technical teams are conducting safety tests on electrical systems and infrastructure within the substation before restoration efforts can proceed.

The assessment will determine which equipment may have been damaged by the water and what repairs or replacements are required before the electricity supply can be safely restored.

“Our engineers are already on site, carefully assessing the damage to electrical equipment and working tirelessly to carry out the necessary tests and repairs,” the utility firm said.

In the meantime, the company said it is working to minimise the impact of the outage by redirecting some customers to neighbouring substations where possible.

This measure is expected to help partially restore the electricity supply in some of the affected areas while repair work continues.

Kenya Power apologised to customers for the inconvenience caused by the disruption and thanked residents for their patience as engineers work to resolve the issue.

“We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused and thank our customers for their patience and understanding as our teams work to restore normal supply,” the statement read.

Residents have also been encouraged to report any power-related incidents or faults through the company’s customer service platform by dialling *977# or through its official communication channels.

The flooding at the South C substation comes amid continued heavy rainfall that has been experienced across Nairobi and several other parts of the country in recent days.

The downpours have caused flooding in low-lying areas, damaged infrastructure, and disrupted transport and other services.

Authorities have urged residents to remain cautious during the rainy season, particularly in flood-prone areas where infrastructure such as roads, drainage systems and utilities may be affected.