The Ministry of Energy and Petroleum has initiated plans to revive and operationalise the Muhoroni Power Station to alleviate the persistent power outages affecting Western Kenya.
The gas turbine plant, which is owned and operated by the Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen), ceased operations in June 2023 due to technical issues, leading to a 25 per cent reduction in power supply to the national grid.
Speaking during a familiarisation tour of the Muhoroni Power Station on Saturday, Energy Cabinet Secretary, James Wandayi, said the Ministry is in talks with KenGen management to expedite the restoration of the plant to address the ongoing power shortages as a short-term measure.
“The entire Western Kenya region, Southern Nyanza, and parts of Kericho and Bomet have faced serious power shortages for some time, largely due to the closure of the Muhoroni Power Station. We are now exploring ways to bring it back to life within the shortest time possible,” CS Wandayi stressed.
The Muhoroni plant previously contributed 60 megawatts to Western Kenya’s total installed generation capacity of 249 megawatts. Its closure has had a significant impact on industrial production and households relying on a stable electricity supply.
“We are hopeful that once the plant is up and running, we will have addressed the power shortage challenge to a large extent, though not fully,” added Wandayi.
To provide a long-term solution to the region’s power issues, the CS said the government has initiated several major projects aimed at upgrading the power transmission infrastructure in the area.
He added that the Ministry is constructing new substations across Western Kenya to meet the rising demand for electricity.
Currently, engineers are on-site extending the transmission line from Sondu-Miriu Hydropower Station to Ndhiwa in Homa Bay County.
Additionally, the construction of a 28-kilometer, 132kV single-circuit transmission line from Awendo to Masaba in Isebania and the construction of a new substation at Masaba are in their final stages.
These projects aim to minimise intermittent power outages and enhance electricity reliability for consumers.
The Narok-Bomet Transmission Project, comprising 81 kilometers of 132kV transmission lines constructed by the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (KETRACO), seeks to improve power access in South Nyanza, ending the era of frequent blackouts and low voltage.
The Narok-Bomet line will also ease the burden on the overloaded Muhoroni-Sotik Transmission Line, thereby strengthening grid stability across the region.
“Once all these transmission infrastructure projects are complete, they will have significantly addressed the perennial power problems in this region,” Wandayi concluded.
By Robert Ojwang’
