The Departmental Committee on Energy, chaired by Nakuru East MP David Gikaria has expressed concerns over the ongoing shortage of electricity transformers and the persistent falling of electricity poles across the country.
These concerns came to the fore during the Committee’s meeting with the State Department for Energy to deliberate on the Budget Estimates for the Financial Year 2025/2026.
Kenya Power Managing Director (MD) Joseph Siror noted that while transformers may sometimes be available in stores, mismatched ratings often delay deployment.
“Usually, we might have transformers in store, but the challenge arises when the available rating does not match the required specification for a particular area. This mismatch may lead to significant delays,” the MD stated.
It was also revealed that a recent court case regarding the procurement of transformers had previously stalled progress.
Kenya Power, however, won the case, enabling it to proceed with procurement processes. The company is currently awaiting the delivery of new transformer units.
Why Kenya Power is upgrading its workshops
To strengthen repair and maintenance capacity, the MD highlighted ongoing upgrades to Kenya Power’s workshops.
The major workshop in Nairobi is being enhanced, alongside minor facilities in the Coast and Eldoret regions.
Additional staff are being onboarded to facilitate round-the-clock operations across all workshops.
It was also disclosed that most of the transformers at Kenya Power’s Donholm and Ruaraka yards are faulty and beyond repair.
However, parts from these defective units are salvaged and used in other repair works. The MD added that it is basically cannibalizing faulty transformers to restore others to working condition
The Committee emphasized the need for reliable electricity infrastructure, calling on Kenya Power and the State Department for Energy to fast-track solutions and ensure consistent service delivery across the country.
