Kenya suffers nationwide blackout after major transmission line breaks

 Kenya is experiencing a nationwide power outage after a high voltage transmission line connecting the capital broke, state-controlled utility Kenya Power said on Tuesday.

Kenya Power said the blackout occurred after towers supporting a high voltage power line connecting the capital to the Kiambere hydroelectric dam had collapsed.

© Reuters/THOMAS MUKOYA A view shows the Nyayo house building at the corner of Uhuru Highway and Kenyatta Avenue in Nairobi

"We have lost power supply due to collapsed towers on Kiambere - Embakasi high voltage transmission power line at 10:45 a.m.(0745 GMT) this morning," Kenya Power said in a statement on its Twitter account.

"Our engineers are working to restore electricity supply as the repairs are being undertaken."

A company spokesperson confirmed the outage was nationwide.

Kenya Power is the country's sole electricity distributor and the bulk of its power comes from Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen).

In May 2020, Kenya experienced a similar nationwide outage after a section of a high voltage power line that transmits power to Nairobi from the Olkaria geothermal power plants, some 75 km (45 miles) from Nairobi, broke.

In late December, a section of another transmission line known as Loyaingalani-Suswa, collapsed, knocking out some power supply from the grid and leading to power rationing in some parts of the country while it was being repaired.