Former Mandera Senator Billow Kerrow has criticised the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) over its failure to restore electricity to Nairobi areas affected by recent floods, saying that hours after heavy rains disrupted power supply in several parts of the city, many residents remain without electricity.

Taking it to his X handle on Monday, March 9, 2026, Kerrow termed it as unacceptable, as even hours after the power supply was disrupted in various sections of the city, the city continued to have most of its people without power.

“More than 56 hrs after the floods disrupted power supply to Nairobi South areas, @KenyaPower has not restored power. Unacceptable. Never happened before. What’s going on?” Kerrow stated.

His commentaries were reminiscent of the anger of locals who have had to deal with prolonged blackouts that have thrown daily activities and business processes off. Kerrow highlighted that the delay reveals the weaknesses in the disaster preparedness and disaster response systems of the utility company.

Electricity is one of the essential services, particularly in times of emergencies such as these floods. Delay in power restoration is not only inconvenient but also risky to the residents who depend on electricity to support their key services, he said.

The former senator has urged the government and the regulatory body in the energy sector to make the company responsible and urged the public utilities to have backup measures in case there is an emergency, especially with the increase in the frequency of extreme weather.

Those who have suffered the outages have raised alarm as they report that constant power outages have the potential to jeopardise health and safety, particularly for vulnerable families, who face power as a source of lighting, refrigeration and other necessities. Losses have also been reported in businesses because of the interruptions.

Damages caused by floods

The recent floods, triggered by heavy rains that hit Nairobi and other parts of Kenya, have caused significant loss of life and destruction.

Authorities report that at least 42 people have been killed by the flooding across the country, with 25 of those fatalities recorded in Nairobi alone as floodwaters surged through low-lying neighbourhoods, swept away vehicles and submerged homes.