Ruaka traders count losses as Joyland power outage persists for a week

NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 13 – Traders and households in Ruaka’s Joyland area are counting losses following a prolonged power outage that has disrupted businesses and water supply, with residents and traders accusing Kenya Power of failing to respond to repeated calls for repairs.

The outage, which residents say began on Monday, has affected hundreds of small businesses and households, leaving traders unable to operate normally and residents in some apartments without water because pumping systems depend on electricity.

John, a barber in the area, said traders had repeatedly contacted Kenya Power but were yet to receive assistance.

“We’ve had a problem since Monday and called Kenya Power repeatedly, but they keep saying they will come to fix the problem but they need to be facilitated to come. We’re unable to earn a living because of this,” he told Capital News on Thursday.

John said the problem was caused by a faulty transformer serving the Joyland area, which he accused the utility of failing to repair despite repeated reports.

Elizabeth, a salon owner who operates in the neighbourhood, also accused Kenya Power staff of demanding payment before responding to the outage.

“I own a salon that makes women’s hair. The biggest problem I see with KPLC is that when we call them, they don’t come,” she said.

“They want us to pay them, so that they can come and fix electricity. For three days we have been without power. The business is not doing well. There is nothing we can do, and we have children at home. What do they [Kenya Power] want from us?”

Residents say they have contacted Kenya Power officials over the disruption and were informed that the fault had been booked for attention within a week.

They have, however, questioned the proposed timeline, particularly amid claims that they were asked to make payments to have the repair expedited.

The complaint was registered under reference number 16453483.

In an automated response to residents, Kenya Power acknowledged that the area had been without power since Monday and apologised for the inconvenience.

The utility’s virtual assistant asked residents to provide a phone number to facilitate the outage report, before acknowledging that the complaint had already been logged and remained pending.

“Understood—you already have the outage reference. We’re sorry there’s still no feedback; the report remains pending. For an update, contact us on 97771,” the automated response stated.

The virtual assistant also cautioned residents against making payments to anyone claiming they could fix the outage, urging them to report any such requests through the utility’s customer service number.

“Do not pay anyone to fix the issue; please report any request for payment to us on 97771,” the response stated.

The lack of a confirmed restoration timeline has left traders uncertain about when they can resume normal operations, while households face additional challenges accessing water.

Residents are now calling on Kenya Power to urgently repair the faulty transformer, explain the delay and provide a definite timeline for restoring electricity.

Kenya Power had not provided a substantive response to the residents’ complaints by the time of publication.