From ‘monkey business’ to trees and heavy rains, Kenya Power on rampant power outages
Kenya Power Managing Director Joseph Siror has attributed the majority of electricity outages in the country to trees and overgrown vegetation interfering with power lines, particularly during heavy rains and strong winds.
Previously, Kenya Power management blamed monkeys for the incessant national blackout even during dry seasons.
Speaking during an interview on KTN News on Tuesday night, Siror said between 50 and 70 per cent of power interruptions are caused by tree branches or entire trees coming into contact with electricity lines.
According to the Kenya Power boss, storms often cause branches to fall onto transmission and distribution lines, damaging power infrastructure and triggering widespread outages.
“The biggest challenge, if you look at most of our outages, is trees. About 50 to 70 per cent of interruptions are caused by trees and vegetation touching power lines, especially during heavy rains and strong winds,” Siror said.
To address the problem, the utility company launched an intensive nationwide tree-clearing programme about two to three years ago targeting vegetation growing dangerously close to electricity lines.
However, Siror said the initiative initially faced stiff resistance from members of the public who accused the company of destroying trees and interfering with private property.
“At the beginning, the public was totally opposed. They felt like Kenya Power was engaging in criminal behaviour and some residents fought back when our teams tried to trim the trees,” he explained.
Despite the pushback, Kenya Power managed to persuade some communities to allow trimming and removal of trees located near power lines. Siror said the results have been noticeable in areas where vegetation has been cleared.
“In places where we managed to cut the trees, residents later told us they were surprised that even when it rained heavily, their power supply remained stable,” he said.
According to Siror, areas where vegetation management has been implemented have experienced fewer outages and shorter interruptions during storms.
Nevertheless, the company still faces resistance in some neighbourhoods where residents continue to block efforts to trim trees near power infrastructure.
Siror recalled an incident in which a resident refused to allow Kenya Power teams to cut a tree growing near electricity lines on her property. The same tree later fell during a storm and damaged power infrastructure, causing an outage in the area.
He urged the public to cooperate with the company’s maintenance programmes, noting that proper vegetation management is critical to improving electricity reliability across the country.
