NAIROBI, Kenya – If you’re in Nairobi’s Kitsuru or heading out to the farms in Makueni, brace yourself—a blackout could be coming your way. Kenya Power has rolled out a sweeping schedule of planned outages today, May 22, stretching across multiple counties from morning until late afternoon.
The electricity utility says the interruptions, mostly scheduled between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., are part of ongoing efforts to improve grid reliability and enhance public safety. And while it’s all for the greater good, today’s power cuts are set to hit schools, conservancies, estates, and even farmlands—so if you’re working from home or studying for exams, now’s the time to charge everything.
Here’s what’s going dark and when.
Nairobi Region
Several prime residential and institutional areas in Nairobi are facing full-day outages. In Kitsuru, affected zones include Lower Kabete Road, UoN’s Lower Kabete Campus, Mwimuto, New Kitsuru, and Kitsuru Springs Estate. Nearby in Gigiri, Mangolia Drive and Daize Close will be without power as well. And around St. Mary’s School, residents near Loreto Msongari, Muthangari Police Station, parts of James Gichuru Road, and Kabaserian Avenue will also be affected.
Eastern and Rift Valley Counties
Makueni residents along the Maiani–Isovya stretch—including Enzai, Mukaa, Kitandi, Nguluni, and Nunguni—should prepare for outages from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Over in Bomet, Lolgorian and Mararianda areas (think Olpisiai, Kichwa Tembo, Angama, Oldonorok, and Masururaangata) are going dark between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
Uasin Gishu County joins the list too, with Ngarua, Chelachbei, and Kapkeno residents in for an outage stretching from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Western and Central Kenya
In the west, Kakamega’s Musoli Market, Bukura College, and Sigalagala Polytechnic are all impacted. Bungoma isn’t spared either—Bukembe, Mechimeru, Kombo, and parts of the Nzoia Sugar belt including Mabanga ATC and Rojja Villa will go offline.
In Kisii County, blackouts are expected in Nyangusu, Getumo, and Magena towns from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Homa Bay residents in Gendia, Kosele, Karabok, and Gonche will also experience outages between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
North of Nairobi, Nyeri’s Kamakwa and Upper Ring Road areas—including the PC’s residence—are scheduled for service interruptions, while Isiolo’s Archers Post, Wamba Town, and the surrounding conservancies like Sarova Shaba are also on the list.
In Kiambu, areas along the Sigona–KARI stretch—Zambezi, Muguga, Kamangu—and farms along Bob Harries Road in Juja (such as Mungetho, Kariki Farm, and Mtaro Farm) will be off-grid. Meanwhile, in Taita Taveta, Maktau Town, Lumo Conservancy, Kwa Mnengwa, and Lions Bluff are also in blackout mode.
While these planned outages might be frustrating in the moment, Kenya Power insists they’re a necessary step toward modernizing the country’s energy infrastructure. You can always check real-time updates or upcoming blackout schedules on the Kenya Power website.
So yes, Wednesday might be a little dim—but a stronger, more stable grid may just be worth the temporary inconvenience. Just don’t forget to plug in everything you own before it’s lights out.
