A widespread power outage that plunged large parts of Kenya into darkness on Wednesday night has triggered fresh debate on energy resilience, after Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi pointed to his county’s solar lighting programme as a working alternative.
In a statement issued at 9:05 pm on July 29, Kenya Power confirmed the outage had affected Nairobi, the Coast, Mt Kenya region and parts of Central Rift, leaving millions without electricity.
The utility said its technical teams were working to restore supply, while apologising for the disruption.
“We wish to inform our esteemed customers that we are experiencing a widespread power outage affecting customers in Nairobi, Coast, Mt. Kenya and parts of Central Rift,” the statement read.
“Our technical teams are working to restore supply to the affected areas as quickly as possible.”
As the blackout spread, Governor Wamatangi used the moment to highlight Kiambu County’s investment in solar-powered street lighting, framing it as a buffer against such national disruptions.
“When a nationwide power blackout brought much of the country to a standstill, Kiambu refused to go dark,” Wamatangi said.
“The county’s bus parks and other public spaces remained illuminated by our newly installed solar streetlights.”
According to the governor, the county has already installed 12,000 solar streetlights under the first phase of the project, with plans to install an additional 12,000 units within the current financial year.
The programme, he noted, is part of a broader push to improve security, extend business hours, and reduce reliance on the national grid.
The blackout, which affected key urban centres including Nairobi, disrupted transport, businesses, and household activities, exposing the country’s vulnerability to large-scale power failures.
In several areas, residents reported being stranded in darkness for hours, with some businesses forced to shut early.