Kenya Power Schedules Maintenance Blackouts Across Seven Counties Tomorrow
Turkana County, 23 April 2026
Kenya Power will interrupt electricity supply across seven counties on Wednesday, 24th April, affecting thousands of residents and businesses during daytime hours. The planned outages target critical infrastructure upgrades and new customer connections, with some areas experiencing nine-hour blackouts from 8:00am to 5:30pm. Notably, the disruptions will impact refugee settlements in Turkana County, highlighting the widespread nature of Kenya’s grid modernisation efforts.
Widespread Infrastructure Maintenance Programme
Kenya Power and Lighting Company has scheduled comprehensive maintenance work across seven counties on Wednesday, 24th April 2026, as part of its ongoing grid modernisation efforts [1]. The planned interruptions will affect Nairobi, Kitui, Kisii, Bungoma, Nyeri, Laikipia, and Uasin Gishu counties, with power cuts lasting up to nine and a half hours in some areas [1]. According to the utility company’s official notice, the outages are ‘necessary to interrupt supply periodically in order to facilitate maintenance and upgrade of power lines to the network, to connect new customers, or to replace power lines during road construction’ [1]. The maintenance work represents a significant investment in Kenya’s electrical infrastructure, addressing both capacity expansion and reliability improvements across the national grid.
Detailed Schedule and Affected Areas
The power interruptions will commence at varying times across different regions, with the earliest starting at 8:00am and extending until 5:30pm in some locations [1]. In Nairobi, residents of Uhuru Camp and parts of Langata Road will experience blackouts from 9:00am to 5:00pm, whilst Lower Kabete will face similar timing disruptions [1]. Laikipia County’s Thome and Matanya areas are among the affected zones, alongside multiple locations in Kitui including Zombe, Mwitika, Kikuu, Kiambere, Katse, and Tseikuru [1]. Nyeri County will see interruptions in Tumutumu, Wakamata, Mweiga Blooms, Kamatongu, and Mwireri areas from 9:00am to 5:00pm [1]. The longest disruption period affects Bungoma County’s Kalenda and Malanga areas, which will experience outages from 8:30am to 5:30pm, totaling nine hours of interrupted service [1].
Impact on Business and Essential Services
The scheduled maintenance will significantly impact commercial activities and essential services across the affected regions during peak business hours [1]. In Kisii County, agricultural processing areas including Ibencho, Nyamasege, Nyansakia, Magena, Nyangusu, and Mara Tea will face nine-hour blackouts from 9:00am to 5:00pm [1]. Uasin Gishu County’s commercial hubs, including Boma Inn and Top Hill, will experience similar disruptions, whilst the Simbi and Kaptebengwet areas will have slightly shorter outages from 10:00am to 5:00pm [1]. The timing coincides with standard working hours, potentially affecting banking services, telecommunications infrastructure, and small businesses that rely heavily on consistent electricity supply. Educational institutions and healthcare facilities in these areas should prepare alternative power arrangements to maintain critical operations during the maintenance window.
Broader Context of Kenya’s Grid Modernisation
This maintenance programme forms part of Kenya Power’s broader strategy to enhance grid reliability and accommodate growing electricity demand across the country [1]. Recent infrastructure challenges have highlighted the need for systematic upgrades, with the company having dealt with issues such as transformer vandalism, including the arrest of suspected vandal Alfred Hassan Bushuru in Kakamega after a two-year manhunt [1]. The utility has also been actively working to restore power in various regions, including recent efforts in Garissa Town [1]. These scheduled interruptions, whilst inconvenient for consumers, represent proactive maintenance that aims to prevent unplanned outages and improve long-term service reliability. The work includes connecting new customers to the grid, upgrading existing power lines, and replacing infrastructure during road construction projects, demonstrating the integrated approach to national development.