Widespread blackout hits Nairobi and several regions
By Francis Muli, July 29, 2026Most parts of Nairobi were plunged into darkness on Wednesday night after a widespread power outage struck the capital and several other regions across the country, disrupting businesses, transport operations and household activities.
In a customer alert issued at 9:05 pm on July 29, 2026, Kenya Power said the outage was affecting customers in Nairobi, the Coast region, Mt Kenya and parts of the Central Rift.
“However, parts of North Rift and Western regions are on supply,” the utility said in the statement.
Kenya Power said its technical teams were working to restore electricity to affected areas as quickly as possible and apologised for the inconvenience caused.
The blackout affected large sections of Nairobi, including the central business district and major residential estates, with residents reporting loss of electricity during the evening peak hours.
Shops, restaurants, supermarkets and entertainment outlets switched to backup generators while many small businesses temporarily suspended operations.
The outage extended beyond Nairobi, with customers in parts of the Coast region, Mt Kenya and the Central Rift also reporting interruptions in electricity supply.
Hospitals, banks, data centres and other critical facilities largely continued operating using standby generators, although some customers reported intermittent disruptions before backup systems were activated.
The power utility did not immediately disclose the cause of the outage or provide a timeline for full restoration of supply.
Kenya Power urged customers to remain patient as restoration efforts continued.
“We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused and appreciate your patience as restoration efforts continue,” the company said.