Energy Cabinet Secretary Monica Juma claims that investigating teams are looking into the country’s electrical transmission system to see whether any irregularities could have caused the national power blackout on Tuesday.
Energy CS Monica Juma visited the site of the collapsed power transmission towers in Nairobi on Thursday, acknowledging the encroachment.
CS Juma decided to see for herself the magnitude of the damage three days after four electrical towers in Imara Daima collapsed.
Walking through locals’ vegetable gardens, worried that the transmission towers’ side braces might be vandalised while farmers went about their business, paying little attention and reporting nothing.
The towers are thought to have caved in under their weight as a result of the damage.
A closer look at the transmission line reveals a lot of human activity on the ground.
Over 200 Stevens High School students were in class when the building collapsed.
“Around 9:45 a.m., we heard noises on the roof and assumed it was villagers fighting and hurling stones…
“We decided to peek through the window, and then we saw the ballon, and we were like ni stima inmeanguka,” one of the school’s teachers told the CS.
The school has been in operation for the past seven years. The school’s administration claims they were previously ordered to relocate their surrounding wall out of the path of power.
They did, but the towers have now come crashing down on them. The majority of the students were sent home until the risk was no longer there.
“Of course, I’ll bring the school issue to the notice of CS Magoha; I’m confident he’ll be able to deal with it,” CS Juma stated.
“Because this is a way leave, we’ll make sure it’s created in such a way that it’s protected because of the risk…when something like this happens, it may be tragic.”
Residents of the Mukuru kwa Njenga community are still reeling. While they acknowledge that the alleged vandals could be members of their community, they place blame on the local security staff.
Deputy Inspector General Noor Gabow, Energy PS Gordon Kihalangwa, and Kenya Power Acting CEO Rosemary Oduor joined CS Juma.
Despite indications of possible sabotage, the CS encouraged Kenyans to support energy sector reforms as she revealed the focus of investigations.
“We have teams looking into every possibility,” she explained, “and we will respond based on that report.”
Even while power was restored in most sections of the country by Wednesday evening, certain places continued to experience power outages.
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