Residents of Wajir town have registered their frustrations with Kenya Power and Lighting Company KPLC) Wajir branch after 12 hours of darkness hampered businesses and public institutions.
The KPLC Wajir branch operates on a diesel-fueled generator, unable to power Wajir town.
The town is expanding tremendously with people migrating from rural towns due to the looming drought and wanting to benefit from opportunities accrued from devolution.
Speaking to journalists at her office, the Chairlady of the Wajir Civil Society Fatuma Yussuf faulted Wajir County leaders’ inability to unite and deliver a stable power supply to their people.
"The month of Ramadhan is fast approaching, and people will need a lot of cold water due to fasting for more than twelve hours. Mosques will also need to be opened the entire day as worshipers will spend more time on night prayers of Taraweh and Tahajud," said Fatuma.
The owner of a hotel in Wajir Town has confided to The Star that they spend a whopping Sh500,000 on fueling their diesel generator, saying if the trend continues, many businesses will close their doors.
Wajir East Member of parliament Adan Daud last month said he will look for a short-term solution of bringing one generator from Garissa and purchasing a 1.5-megawatt generator within the next 2-3 weeks to supply power.
He also said he is working on connecting the town to the national grid as a long-term solution.
"We have sat with Eng. Geoffrey Muli, MD KPLC, together with County MP Fatuma Jehow, and agreed that if they don’t repair the existing engines in two weeks, they will procure us a new engine," said Adan.
The legislator’s efforts bore no fruit three weeks later, following the same route as the pledges of President William Ruto and his predecessor Uhuru Kenyatta to fix the power problem on May 15, 2019, in twenty-four hours' time.
Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi gave twenty-five acres of land to establish a solar firm that will have a yield of eight thousand megawatts, which will be enough for Wajir town, which is now supported by diesel-powered engines that are producing two and to three thousand megawatts.