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The rampant power outage in Masalani town and its environs in Ijara sub-county has caused untold misery to the people over the years.
Consequently, some of the residents have now opted for other alternative sources of power, including solar energy or investing in personal generators.
For instance, due to sporadic power outages in the area, local mosques have installed solar panels for the faithful, especially during Friday khutbah and prayers, when Muslims usually converge to hear the word of God.
A spot check by KNA also revealed that a number of petrol stations in Masalani town were using standby generators, even as the Masalani Sub-county Referral Hospital and the Masalani water supply company struggled to deliver services due to the ongoing power outage.
Most of the local Jua Kali garages were also only offering partial services.
Local leaders led by Former Chairman of the defunct Ijara County Council, Mohamed Gure, Masalani watchdog Chairman Abdullahi Abdi, and Mama Hawa Abdi, are lamenting over the numerous power interruptions and have now accused Kenya Power Company (KPC) of laxity in responding to the power problems in the region.
On his part, Abdi said there must be something beyond a normal intermittent power outage, citing inefficiency at the Hola-Garsen-Malindi KPC offices.
The Masalani Watchdog chairman said milk vendors, mama mbogas, and other small-scale traders were the hardest hit as they continued to watch their perishable commodities go to waste, amid claims that some of them had already migrated to other localities like Hola, Garsen, Garissa, and Mombasa.
Area butchers are also said to have drastically reduced the number of animals they slaughter on a daily basis for fear of the meat going bad due to lack of refrigeration services.
Contacted for comment, area KPC operations Manager Hezron James blamed the mishap on the current flooding of the River Tana, which has caused a power outage in Masalani town for the last couple of days.
However, Hezron said some poles allegedly swept away in the flooded area along Masalani Bridge and Boji were being repaired by engineers using a boat hired from a local transporter.
By Mohamed Dahir