Power outage hits several Nairobi estates after floods damage South C substation

In a customer alert issued on Saturday, Kenya Power said the floods affected the South C substation after part of the facility’s boundary wall collapsed during the downpour.

The company stated that the incident interrupted electricity supply to several areas including South B, South C, Nairobi West, Madaraka Estate, Strathmore, Dam Estate, Lang’ata, Wilson Airport, Carnivore, Kenyatta Market, Ngumo Estate, Industrial Area, Uhuru Gardens and nearby neighbourhoods.

"Our engineers are already on site, carefully assessing the damage to electrical equipment and working tirelessly to carry out the necessary tests and repairs. Where possible, we are switching some customers to adjacent substations to ease the impact," the company stated.

Kenya Power also expressed sympathy to families and communities affected by the heavy rains that swept across Nairobi and its surrounding areas.

The power disruption comes in the wake of widespread flooding that hit the capital following intense rainfall on Friday night.

The heavy rains overwhelmed drainage systems in several neighbourhoods including South C, South B and Nairobi West, leaving roads submerged and disrupting transport.

Motorists along Uhuru Highway were among the hardest hit as floodwaters engulfed sections of the busy roadway, leaving some vehicles nearly submerged.

Residents in some estates also reported water entering homes after drainage systems failed to cope with the sudden surge of rainwater.

In response, Governor Johnson Sakaja stated that an emergency response team had been activated across the county.

He added that a multi-agency team comprising the National Police Service and the Kenya Red Cross Society coordinated field operations to enhance response efforts in Nairobi.