Hatuanui stima! Kenya Power says on outages during rains

A Kenya Power technician at work/File

The Kenya Power and Lighting Company has attributed some of the electricity outages experienced during the rainy season to trees and branches falling on power lines.

In a notice on Monday, the utility company said heavy rains and strong winds often cause trees or large branches to collapse onto electricity lines, interrupting power supply to homes and businesses.

“During the rainy season, trees or branches may fall on our power lines, resulting in outages. Our teams move quickly to safely remove the trees and restore power as fast as possible,” the company said.

Kenya Power said its technical teams are deployed to affected areas to clear fallen trees and repair damaged lines to restore electricity as quickly as possible.

The company, however, urged members of the public to immediately report any fallen trees or damaged electricity infrastructure to help speed up the response and avoid safety risks.

Customers who spot fallen trees or power lines were asked to report the incidents using the company’s USSD code *977#, the MyPower mobile application or through its customer care contact channels.

Kenya Power also cautioned residents to keep a safe distance from fallen electricity lines, warning that they may still be live and pose danger.

The advisory comes as several parts of the country continue to experience intermittent rains, which have in the past caused electricity interruptions due to weather-related damage to power infrastructure.

The utility said timely reporting by the public helps its teams locate faults faster and restore electricity to affected customers more efficiently.

Heavy rainfall that pounded parts of Nairobi on Friday left flooded streets, damaged infrastructure, and piles of waste in several neighbourhoods as residents struggled to move through waterlogged roads.

At Riverside in Kariokor, waste accumulated along drainage channels after the heavy downpour, raising concerns about blocked drainage systems in the area.

In Parklands, pedestrians and motorists were forced to manoeuvre through flooded sections of Parklands First Avenue and Parklands Avenue as stormwater covered parts of the roads.

The rains also caused structural damage at Visa Oshwal Junior and Primary School, where a section of the school’s perimeter wall collapsed following the downpour.

Nairobi frequently experiences flooding during periods of intense rainfall, largely linked to inadequate drainage systems and blocked waterways.

According to the Kenya Meteorological Department, the country is currently experiencing the March–May long rains season, which often brings heavy showers, thunderstorms, and localised flooding in urban centres.

The agency has previously warned that intense rainfall can overwhelm drainage infrastructure, especially in densely built areas.