Why Kenyans Are Most Likely to Face Blackouts on Wednesdays

By Benadeta Mwaura - Reporter

Kenya, 30 December 2025 - Data from electricity sector agencies shows that power outages in Kenya are most frequent on Wednesday evenings, a trend driven by peak energy demand, an ageing grid and deliberate load management measures designed to protect the national electricity system from larger failures.

According to figures from the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (Epra), electricity consumption steadily increases during the first half of the week, reaching its highest point on Wednesdays at roughly 41,000 megawatt-hours (MWh), above other days including weekends, when demand typically drops.

This surge in mid-week energy usage puts the national grid under considerable strain, making outages more likely on that day.

While Wednesday may stand out statistically, power outages are not caused by a mystical calendar effect, but rather by a combination of structural and operational realities in Kenya’s electricity sector:

1. Peak Mid-Week Demand:Industrial and commercial energy usage tends to be highest mid-week as factories, businesses and institutions operate at full capacity. Higher demand increases pressure on a system that already runs close to its limits.

2. Load Management and Rationing:The government and Kenya Power have acknowledged deliberate power rationing, a form of load shedding, during peak evening hours (typically between 5 pm and 10 pm) to prevent a total collapse of the national grid. President William Ruto confirmed that supply is intentionally reduced in some areas to balance limited generation capacity against rising demand.

“Between 5 pm and 10 pm, we have to do load shedding. We have to shut off some areas to be able to power others because our energy is not enough,” Ruto told Kenyans in November 2025, highlighting the government’s candid stance on rolling cuts.

3. Infrastructure Constraints:Though Kenya’s installed generation capacity, around 3,192 MW, formally exceeds peak demand figures, the amount of firm capacity (reliably dispatchable power) is lower due to variable output from solar and wind, and the limitations of older infrastructure. Transmission constraints and maintenance needs also contribute to service interruptions even when generation seems adequate.

Blackouts are not exclusively demand-driven. Some outages result from scheduled maintenance or unexpected events such as equipment failures and damage to transmission lines.

Earlier power sector reporting noted that transmission constraints and system disturbances have triggered outages in various parts of the grid, particularly where older lines struggle with high loads.

Additionally, transformer breakdowns, caused by overloading, vandalism or environmental stresses, are a recurring issue, with Kenya Power acknowledging that preventing and repairing such failures is an ongoing operational challenge.

Many Kenyans have taken to social media and community forums to describe frequent outages, especially mid-week, with some residents reporting disruptions of several hours without advance notice.

In Nairobi communities like Karen and Langata, users have asked whether repeated power losses are routine or due to maintenance.

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While some view these interruptions as a technical necessity, others express frustration at the inconsistency and lack of clear communication about scheduling.

Kenya’s electricity system has evolved rapidly over the past decade, with more than 400,000 new customers connected to the grid, driving up consumption and diversifying demand patterns.

Peak electricity demand hit record levels in 2025, for example a new record of 2,362 MW was recorded mid-year, underscoring the growing pressure on supply infrastructure.

However, generation has not always kept pace with expanding usage, and investments in new capacity have faced delays in previous years due to freezes on new power purchase agreements and other regulatory hurdles.

Officials say that strategic investments are being pursued to expand Kenya’s energy base.

Long-term plans, such as the development of nuclear power and expanded capacity additions, are expected to improve reliability over time.

A planned Sh500 billion nuclear power plant set to begin construction in 2027 aims to provide a significant boost to generation capacity, potentially reducing the need for load shedding.

But these initiatives remain medium- to long-term solutions, and in the near term, load management and outages tied to peak demand are likely to continue as the grid adjusts to rising consumption and the realities of balancing variable renewable sources with stable supply.

Energy authorities and Kenya Power suggest that consumers can help mitigate pressure on the grid by:

Shifting high-consumption activities outside peak evening hours
Reporting faults and illegal connections that can damage infrastructure
Investing in backup solutions such as solar systems and inverters for critical usage

Despite occasional frustration with blackouts, sector experts note that prioritising grid stability often means controlled outages are a necessary trade-off to avoid wider system failures.