Two Members of Parliament from Garissa County have raised alarm over frequent power outages being experienced in the area.
Ijara MP, Abdi Ali Abdi and Garissa County MP Umulkher Harun requested statements from the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee of Energy on the frequent power disruption that has left parts of the County in darkness.
Abdi in his request for a Statement before the House states that residents of Masalani and Ijara wards of Garissa County have been suffering unsurmountable losses as the power outages have greatly affected their way of life.
He alleged that the outages, that at times last for durations longer than 30 days, have forced households and business to suffer as perishable products such as milk and vegetables go bad.
Abdi added that learning institutions and health facilities in the area have been forced to rely on generators further increasing their operational costs
In his request for a Statement Abdi asked for among other issues the steps that the Government and the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) had in place to remedy the situation.
“Can the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee of Energy provide us with the measures that the government had in place to ensure that the residents of Masalani and Ijara town have access to reliable electricity?” asked the MP.
Abdi also sought for compensation measures for the businesses affected by the disruptions further urging the government to put up a power station in the locality. Currently, the only reliable power station servicing the area is located in Hola town, Tana River County.
Harun on her part alleges that the residents of Garissa are unable to go about their business as they rely on electricity for much of their activity.
She also stated that residents the darkness had forced them to restrict their movement during night time in fear of being attacked.
“In the recent past there have been frequent power outages in Garissa County that have disrupted critical services such as health facilities, institutions and commercial entities,” Harun stated.
“The outages have also caused panic among the area residents noting that this may result in incidents of insecurity which will negatively impact the economic growth of the area.”
She sought a response from the Committee of Energy on the steps taken by the Ministry of Energy to rectify the matter and ensure that stable electricity supply is permanently restored in the County.
Zablon Mokua’s Nomination To East African Court Of Justice Blocked