The electricity outage in Ruaka’s Joyland area has disrupted businesses and household water supply.
Traders report losses and allege demands for repair payments, while Kenya Power’s automated service warns residents not to pay anyone.
A Joyland power outage has disrupted hundreds of small businesses and households in Ruaka, with residents reporting losses and water shortages. Residents say the disruption began on Monday and accuse Kenya Power of delaying repairs despite repeated calls.
The outage has also affected water supply in some apartments because their pumping systems need electricity. Traders, meanwhile, say they cannot operate normally and want the utility to restore power urgently.
John, a barber in the neighbourhood, said on Thursday that repeated calls had not brought assistance. He attributed the outage to a faulty transformer serving Joyland and accused Kenya Power of failing to repair it.
Traders describe Joyland power outage losses
John said the disruption had prevented traders from earning a living. He also alleged that those responding to their calls wanted facilitation before attending to the fault.
Elizabeth, who runs a salon in the area, similarly accused Kenya Power staff of requesting payment before responding. She said her business had struggled during three days without electricity, adding that she had children to support at home.
Residents said officials had told them the fault was in the queue for attention within a week. However, they questioned that timeline, particularly alongside allegations that payment could speed up the repairs.
The residents want Kenya Power to fix the transformer, explain the delay and give a definite restoration timeline. Meanwhile, the disruption continues to affect both business operations and household access to water.
Kenya Power warns against repair payments
In an automated response, Kenya Power acknowledged that the area had lacked electricity since Monday and apologised for the inconvenience. Its virtual assistant initially requested a phone number to help register the outage.
The assistant then acknowledged an existing complaint under reference number 16453483 and said it remained pending. It also directed residents to call 97771 for an update on the report.
However, the automated service warned residents against paying anyone claiming they could resolve the outage. It advised them to report requests for payment through the same customer service number.
Traders are still seeking clarity on when they can resume normal operations. Households in affected apartments also need electricity restored to run the pumps supplying their water.
