A massive power outage swept across most parts of Coast region from about 10.45pm on Friday evening through to yesterday afternoon, occasioning huge losses to most businesses.
Diesel and petrol fuelled generators sputtered across most urban centres as residents tried to cope with the outage that troubled even those accustomed to frequent blackouts.
A director with Italbuild Company dealing in roofing and building materials, Philip Ndolo said staff were unable to transact any business due to the power interruption. Several hotel managers said they had been forced to switch to standby generators to power hotel operations.
Kenya Association of Hotel keepers and Caterers Coast Branch Chief Executive Officer Sam Ikwaye told The Standard on Sunday that a more than 24-hour power blackout does not augur well for the hospitality sector.
“We are experiencing unfavourable weather conditions due to high temperatures. Electricity supply is vital to ensure rooms remain cool and food rations are stored in cold rooms to prevent them from going bad,’’ Mr Ikwaye said.
The outage was reported in most tourist resorts in Kwale, Malindi, Lamu, Mombasa and Kilifi. The general manager for Lotfa Hotel in Diani, George Matu said their deep freezers were destroyed by the sudden loss of power, leading to destruction of beef and other foods. He said all conference and swimming activities at the hotel had to be cancelled.
Industry fragile
At the Mombasa Serena Beach Resort & Spa, General Manager Tuva Mwahanga said the resort had been running key hotel operations with two generators. “It is unfortunate that Kenya Power has not re-connected us to the national grid after all those hours, leaving us to rely on fuel generators,’’ Mr Mwahanga said.
The story was the same at the Mombasa Sai Roc Hotel where General Manager, Robert Kiri decried the power outage. “Hospitality industry is fragile. We are definitely going to get bad previews by in-house guests who might shun our destination,’’ Mr Kiri said.
Hotel guests staying at the Plaza Beach Hotel at the North Coast protested at the power black out and demanded answers from Kenya Power. Front Office Manager, Christopher Charo said they too had to switch on the generator to ensure operations ran smoothly. “Easter festivities are just around the corner and we are anticipating increased bookings. But in the unfortunate incidence of power surges, we should brace for booking cancellations,’’ Mr Charo said.
Mombasa and most of Coast region has been experiencing increased temperatures in the last three weeks, and the collapse of the mains electrical made life even more unbearable for residents. Most generators are not powerful enough to support air conditioners and refrigerators, and many residents were forced to stay outdoors to remain cool.
A communiqué issued by Kenya Power said that supply to the region was disrupted followed following a technical hitch that occurred at Kiambere Damal terminal, affecting a high voltage transmission line linking Nairobi and coast.
“Our engineers are on site working to repair the fault in order to restore supply. The affected areas include Mombasa, Malindi, Lamu, Kwale and their environs,’’ Kenya Power said in the statement.
Energy Cabinet Secretary Charles Keter had earlier appealed for calm, assuring consumers that Kenya Power is working round the clock to ensure power gets restored.
