For eight consecutive days, power outage in Tseikuru town, Mwingi North sub county has paralysed businesses which residents depend on to earn a living. This has made the owners of big and small businesses count losses of huge sums.
Pius Vundi outside Camp Nou where he showcases league matches and video games. The business has been affected by prolonged power outage in Tseikuru. Photo/COURTESY
Tseikuru town is home to Tseikuru Technical Training Institute, a national centre of higher education and a number of secondary and primary schools. None has been spared by the unceremonious switch off. Others are forced to cough high maintenance costs to have standby generators which cannot run continuously.
It also hosts saccos such as Trans Nation Sacco and Solution Sacco as well as expansive hotels, bars and restaurants such as Kwa Mumo. Mr Mumo runs a hardware store and a club which both heavily depend on Kenya Power supply of hydroelectricity.
The residents which Mwingi Times talked to are not connected to token use which saves customers from darkness when the tokens get depleted before the user reloads. They use post pay method which is billed at the end of the month after Kenya Power technicians visit the region to read meters and return the results. This is both tedious and time consuming.
Doing nothing
Mwingi Times did a spot-check of the entire town and only two businesses had solar powered generators. The rest were either closed or owners were idling doing other activities which give less returns than those supported by the hydroelectricity.
Alfred Mutua runs a video streaming studio where Engling and European Premier Leagues and video games are shown. The timing of power outage made the business incur huge losses given he relies on students and other young people to come to his studio and play PLAYSTATION games or watch movies in the theatre.
“That week I was targeting a minimum of Sh7,000 since the students had closed schools and they play PLAY STATION a lot. In Camp Noú I have a movie shop, a Play Station and movie theatre. All are dormant for the second week now. Counting losses. Kenya Power were around but they did nothing”.
On its official website, the Kenya Power has not listed any current power outage that is scheduled in the region. The last update was on July 22.
For the umpteenth time, residents are asking for how long will they wait to be served yet they pay for electricity consumption as required.
Story by MUSYOKA NGUI
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Nice story. I hope Kenya power takes charge.
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