Lookout Nyali residents & businesses...

Now, that the rainy season has started, if you have noticed, our power outages/fluctuations have also gone up to an unprecedented number. In fact, everytime we hear thunder and lightening, we just know for a fact that it won't be long before (if it hasn't already at the first clap of thunder), our power will go off!

Then, trying to call ANYBODY from Kenya Power (KPLC), will be an exercise in futility. In the process, we have no idea if our so-called power company is even aware of the fact that a whole area has suddenly without warning been plunged into 'darkness'. 

It makes you wonder how other countries of the world where they get torrential rains/snow, etc., manage to have continuous power. Of course, if there is a flood/tornado/hurricane situation it's a different matter. 

But, in our country, especially Mombasa, sees so many outages/fluctuations for such minor reasons that one wonders...

Of course, we have outages even during clear sunny days, but, the supposed reasons are equally unbelievable.

I have noticed that when and IF you can manage to get through to somebody at KPLC, the reason given (we lost power at this point and now it's back about half an hour later without explanation or apology), most times is that there is a major problem at Kipevu, as was the case yesterday when we did not have power most of the day and part of the night, too.

We are still wondering is todays two outages are due to those of yesterday or this time it is something else - like a broken wire, water going into their wires and short-circuiting them, etc.

Coming back to this Kipevu place - I wonder what kind of security they have....? Remember, last year when some thugs were electrocuted there when they went to steal cables? So, if two-bit crooks are capable of accessing Kipevu it wouldn't be surprising if such things happen more often than they admit to us and hence the secrecy in telling us the reasons for these numerous outages involving or originating at Kipevu.

Another thing these engineers and employees are very fond of telling us is to have patience. How many decades are we supposed to 'bear with them'? I'm beginning to suspect some kind of conspiracy where Mombasa is concerned because up-country towns and cities do not suffer in the same way.

In fact, I believe, that these KPLC employees can be quite vindictive because, just now during the latest outage when I finally managed to get through to an engineer Musau, he told me that he would not help me if I got mad with him (KPLC) and didn't have patience with them. Is that one of the reasons for our repeated outages?

So, Nyali residents and businesses - be prepared for countless outages involving whole days and nights. Kenya Power is 'helping' us to stay under-developed!!!!