The business community in Tana River County plans to hold a demonstration against Kenya Power Company over frequent power blackouts in Hola, Garsen and Bura Towns in the area.
Speaking to the press in Hola Town, a local businessman Alfrad Otieno, who operates a workshop said for the past one month, since the onset of floods in parts of Madogo area and Tana Delta Sub County, power supply in the three towns has been overly unreliable due to frequent black-outs, resulting into huge losses for business people.
Otieno accused Kenya Power staff in Hola for their failure in providing residents with information before the blackouts that usually occur in the afternoons, proceeding to about 7pm, before another blackout from midnight to the next day at about 9am.
He lamented that their businesses had not been operating optimally, such that they can longer pay their workers due to the unwarranted losses, occasioned by the recurring power failure.
Consequently, the traders are now warning that they will soon demonstrate against the Power company, if their plight is not addressed in good time
Responding to the claims, local Kenya Power Company Business Manager Limo Sai admitted that indeed the area has been receiving frequent power blackouts.
However, Limo defended the company employees, amid allegations of incompetence, saying they had been doing their best to arrest the situation.
The business manager attributed the real problem to power supply from Malindi side that has been on and off, but the two teams from Hola and Malindi are now working together to ensure that power supply returns to normalcy, at the earliest opportunity.
By Simon Guruba
