Irate residents of Kihoto, Naivasha took to the streets to protest failure by Kenya Power to replace two transformers that have left the estate in darkness for two weeks.
During the incident, the residents blocked a section of the Naivasha-Mai Mahiu Road before anti-riot officers moved in to contain the situation.
For the last two weeks, the estate that is home to hundreds of flower farm workers and casual labourers has been in darkness after two of the three transformers serving them blew up.
This comes a couple of weeks after the electricity company admitted that it had problems procuring transformers due to financial challenges and legal battles.
According to Lakeview MCA Alex Mbugua, area residents had undergone lots of suffering as they sought none-coming support from Kenya Power.
Mbugua said he had visited various offices but there was no help pushing the area residents to the streets to seek justice as their businesses recorded losses.
“This is one of the largest estates in Naivasha and it's sad that for over two weeks, there has been no electricity and Kenya Power is making things worse,” he said.
The MCA added that due to the blackout, cases of crime had shot up while residents were under threats from hippos and buffaloes from nearby KWS institute.
A posho mill trader Hannah Waceke said she had been forced to close down her shop as she could not operate without electricity.
“The county government is keen to collect the license fee from us yet we have not been operating due to the power blackout. We shall not pay in the coming days,” she said.
Similar sentiments were echoed by Mercy Wairimu who operates a salon who said her customers had relocated to Naivasha town due to the current crisis.
“We have lost a lot in the last two weeks after the transformers blew up and we fear that we shall be forced to close our businesses in the coming days,” she said.
Another trader John Karanja who operates a butchery said he had lost beef and poultry products worth thousands of shillings as his refrigeration system was not working.
“We have visited Kenya Power offices so many times and they have promised to replace the transformers but this is not forthcoming,” he said.
A senior manager with Kenya Power and who declined to be named said the company had an acute shortage of transformers countrywide.
