A prolonged power outage has disrupted businesses at Akwakra Trading Center in Rachuonyo North, Homa Bay County, for over six months.
The persistent outage has affected over 300 traders who lament that they have been without electricity for more than six months.
The traders expressed concerns that the blackout has pushed them out of business, which depends on electricity.
Julius Adero, a welder, said he had closed his business for the last six months, adding that they were being impoverished.
Adero said a transformer that used to supply electricity in the area became faulty, after which Kenya Power Company took it for repair.
He said the Kenya Power officials promised to return the transformer after two months; however, the transformer has not been restored to date.
“Kenya Power officials promised to return it in two months. The sad story is that we are still in a blackout,” Adero said.
“Today, I am jobless because of the power outage. I can neither pay school fees for my children nor meet basic needs because of this problem,” he added.
Business operators dealing in cold storage have been rendered jobless too.
The power outage has also adversely affected health services in the area, with Chuth Ber Health Center, the main public health facility in the area, adversely affected.
The health facility cannot store vaccines, a situation which has disrupted immunization programmes.
The health facility’s maternity section has to be closed at night.
Victor Oduor, a nursing officer at the health center, said the power outage was paralyzing their operations.
“Our maternity section cannot operate at night, and we cannot store vaccines due to lack of electricity. We have followed up with Kenya Power in futility,” Oduor said.
The residents called on the government to intervene in the matter.
“We are appealing to the government to intervene in this matter.” Peter Onyango, a trader, said.
Efforts to reach the Kenya Power management for a comment were unsuccessful.
By Davis Langat
