The national power supplier, Kenya Power, has reassured its customers that regardless of the current drought inhibiting the efficiency of hydropower generation, the utility does not forecast power rationing.
Local media, the Star, reported that Kenya Power’s acting chief executive, Ken Tarus, relieved fears that continued drop in water levels at Masinga Dam are expected to reduce the hydropower contribution to the national grid.
“Even with the hydrological conditions that we are experiencing at the moment, we do not foresee any possibility of carrying out power rationing. Get it from us – we are not about to carry out any power rationing,” Tarus asserted.
The power utility reassured to have an electricity reserve of 27.11% from its energy mix, which will supplement the shortfalls, media reported.
The notion is in line with the effective generation capacity of 2,250MW against a demand of 1,640MW.
Kenya’s installed capacity is currently standing at 2,327MW.
The state-owned electricity producer KenGen has switched on diesel-run generators for thermal electricity to supplement hydro-electric power and the move has resulted in increased tariffs to $2.85 cents per kWh from $2.31 cents per kWh in December 2016.
