KPLC Why KU Hostels Are Without Power
KPLC Why KU Hostels Are Without Power
The students held protests on Thika Highway on Monday, demanding that power be restored.
They erected boulders and lit bonfires, resulting in a massive traffic jam on the busy highway.
In a statement, Kenya Power said the string of events leading to the unfortunate state of affairs date back to late last year when a 200kVA transformer serving the Kiwanja area in Roysambu failed.
Kenya Power said to mitigate a power outage in the area, a bigger capacity transformer (315 kVA) was temporarily deployed as the company did not have in its stores a 200kVA transformer at the time.
The company said on January 23, a team of engineers was deployed to the area to swap the high-capacity transformer with a low-capacity unit because its capacity is bigger than the demand in the affected area.
“The team was under instruction to install the new transformer and recover the 315kVA unit that had been installed as a stop-gap measure. As soon as the team commenced disconnection of the 315kVA transformer to facilitate the swap, locals confronted them by throwing stones injuring several staff, and damaging the truck that had ferried the team and the new transformer to the site,” Kenya Power said.
As a result, the team escaped, but with injuries, leaving the swap midway and the area with no power.
“The truck’s hydraulic system was damaged, wheels punctured, and the windscreen was smashed. The staff managed to escape after being beaten and harassed. They are receiving medical attention while the truck has been moved to the workshop for repairs,” Kenya Power said.
KPLC Why KU Hostels Are Without Power
