Kenya Power has erected permanent pylons for the Suswa to Nairobi North double circuit line, raising hope of improved transmission of electricity from one of the major hubs.
Joseph Siror, Kenya Power CEO, disclosed that the permanent pylons were set up on Monday, replacing the temporary overhead lines that had been erected across the standard gauge railway (SGR) line near Gicheru Mines, Kikuyu sub-county, since 2019.
Kenya Power had been relying on temporary pylons over the SGR line to Suswa, jeopardising transmission of electricity on the double circuit from Suswa to the Nairobi North substations. This is because temporary pylons are vulnerable to collapse in extreme weather conditions, including strong winds.
Suswa substation is a major electricity hub for Kenya and the East African region, underscoring the importance of having permanent pylons on this critical infrastructure.
Power evacuation
The Suswa-Nairobi North line provides an alternative path for power evacuation from the Suswa substation, helping reduce blackouts in Nairobi.
“We had used a temporary solution, but now we have a permanent solution which is less prone to collapsing as compared to a temporary construction,” Dr Siror told the Business Daily on Monday.
“It (pylon) had been temporary since the SGR construction took place, where it cuts the double circuit Suswa-Nairobi North lines.”
Kenya Power had on Monday morning warned customers of load shedding as the installation of the permanent towers got underway.
Collapse and damage of temporary pylons on critical electricity lines have, in recent times, been blamed for countrywide outages. The most recent was the collapse of pylons in Embakasi in 2022, which plunged the country into a blackout.
Pylons, also referred to as towers, are used to support electrical cables that transmit high-voltage electricity from where it is generated to a substation, from where it is stepped down and distributed to homes and businesses.
