The world record for the longest blackout in history has been broken in Laikipia after Kenya Power decided to punish a village where Kenya Power’s vehicle lost a spare tyre.
A village in Laikipia celebrated the fifth anniversary of being in the dark with the promise of more years of darkness to come since their problem was not technical, but disciplinary. This follows an unfortunate incidence where a Kenya Power vehicle lost a spare tyre while on duty in the village.
A Kenya Power staff who was part of the team explained his frustration with people, saying that they were serving people who were not grateful.
“We went there to replace a blown fuse and one resident offered us lunch. We left our vehicle parked on the roadside and took our time, only to return and find the spare tyre missing. How do they expect us to keep serving them when they are stealing from us? Let there be darkness!”
Following the incidence, residents have written to Kenya Power, tweeted, went to the offices, asked the local politicians to help and even prayed, but Kenya Power has never responded. The only posho mill in the village is now falling apart. Farmers have replaced the electric motors for their chaff cutters with petrol engines. Those who had smartphones have now acquired mulika mwizi’s because they can’t afford to go to the shopping center every day to charge their phones. The only school in the area has learnt to live without power, because even before power was cut, they had not been paying for it.
Our reporter reached out to Kenya Power on behalf of the village and we got the generic response that the problem has been logged, and we will get feedback as soon as there is any.
They asked for darkness, and darkness it shall be!
