Tensions flared in Githogoro village, located near Runda Estate in Nairobi, on Friday afternoon as residents staged a fiery protest against a prolonged three-month power outage. The situation escalated when Kenya Power officials, who had arrived to remove transformers from the area, were met with angry locals demanding the immediate restoration of electricity.
The standoff began when frustrated residents, who had endured the ongoing blackout for months, accused Kenya Power of deliberate negligence in addressing their concerns. They claimed the power cut was part of a pattern of incompetence, with the company failing to take any substantial action to rectify the situation. The residents’ frustration boiled over when they saw KPLC workers attempting to remove transformers from the area, a move they believed would only prolong the outage.
Despite Kenya Power officials insisting that the maintenance activities were routine and not an act of sabotage, the community remained unconvinced. Their anger grew as power had yet to be restored, and their demands for an immediate solution intensified.
The protest soon turned violent, with demonstrators stoning KPLC vehicles in an effort to force the company to take action. In retaliation, the residents blocked roads, trapping the Kenya Power officials in the area until their demands for a new transformer were met. As the standoff progressed, tensions between the authorities and locals reached a boiling point.
While power was eventually restored to parts of Githogoro village, other sections of the community remained in darkness, as the faulty transformer was still in need of replacement. Local authorities, including the area chief and officers from the Runda police station, intervened to restore order. They issued stern warnings to the residents, urging them not to take the law into their own hands.
This incident highlights the ongoing frustration that many communities in Nairobi face with unreliable utility services. The standoff in Githogoro village serves as a stark reminder of the tensions that can arise when essential services fail to meet the needs of the public.
