Kirinyaga residents protest over two-month-long power outage

The blackout began in December 2025 after a transformer burst, cutting off power to homes and businesses.

Led by Beatrice Watetu, Joseph Maina, Lucy Wanja and Caroline Wachira, the residents are now calling on their elected leaders to intervene and ensure electricity is restored.

The outage has severely disrupted daily life and economic activities. Farmers say they are struggling to transport tea to factories and operate machines used to cut livestock feed due to lack of power.

“We are having a hard time taking our tea to the factory, and we cannot use machines to cut livestock feed because there is no electricity,” said Caroline Wachira.

Residents have also been forced to walk long distances to charge their phones at trading centres, often relying on motorcycle operators.

Lucy Wanja said the situation is especially difficult for residents who depend on electricity for medical needs.

“We are not protesting because we are against our elected leaders. We want them to intervene. Some of us who use insulin are facing serious challenges,” she said.

The power outage has also heightened insecurity in the area, with residents reporting cases of livestock theft. Parents say children are unable to study effectively at night due to lack of lighting.

“We are losing our chickens, and our children cannot do their homework properly,” Wachira added.

Beatrice Watetu, a youth from the area, said she purchased a laptop and internet bundle through the Nyota Fund but has been unable to use them due to the blackout.

“I am carrying this laptop to show our leaders how serious the situation is in Mugwandi,” she said.

The residents are urging authorities to expedite the replacement of the damaged transformer and restore electricity, saying the prolonged outage continues to disrupt livelihoods and essential services in the community.