By S, KNA
Residents of Ndhuru village in Lambwe location, Suba North constituency, have raised concerns over persistent power outages that has plunged the area into darkness for more than three months.
The residents expressed fears that the persistent blackout has brought economic activities and the general routine lifestyle sequence to a standstill, crippling businesses, health services and worsened the security situation as criminals took advantage of the dark spell to commit atrocities.
Clifford Ouru, a local resident, said five electricity poles collapsed several months ago, yet Kenya Power has not taken any action despite repeated pleas from the community.
A businesswoman, Lydia Adhiambo who runs a cybercafé, salon and barbershop, says her operations have ground to a halt due to the outage.
“I rely entirely on electricity to run my businesses and without it, my businesses remain paralyzed and I cannot make an income,” she lamented.
The situation has also impacted education and fishing sectors in the area with parents and teachers reporting that students can no longer attend early morning and evening study sessions due to safety concerns.
At Ndhuru beach, where fishing is the primary economic activity, traders report massive losses due to their inability to preserve fish without electricity.
“Our fish spoils before we can get it to the market. Many homes have lost their only source of income,” said Calvince Mingo, another resident.
Health services at Ndhuru dispensary have not been spared either. Timothy Ochieng, a clinical officer at the facility said lack of electricity has made it impossible to store vaccines properly or assist expectant mothers during night deliveries.
“We are struggling to offer even the most basic services. Without reliable electricity, we cannot safely handle nighttime deliveries,” Ochieng explained.
He noted that they find it extremely difficult to help expectant mothers who come to the facility for delivery services at night due to darkness.
The residents are now calling on Kenya Power to urgently intervene and restore electricity to the area, warning that the prolonged outage continues to threaten livelihoods, education, and healthcare.