Electricity users in parts of Mount Kenya and Upper Eastern are set to benefit from a more stable power supply after the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (KETRACO) completed and energised the 132kV Nanyuki-Isiolo Transmission Line.
The 72-kilometre project adds transmission capacity to the region while creating an alternative route for electricity supply, helping reduce interruptions and improve the quality and stability of power in Isiolo, Meru, Laikipia and surrounding areas.
The project comprises a 132kV single-circuit transmission line linking Nanyuki and Isiolo, a new 132kV substation in Isiolo and expansion works at the existing Nanyuki Substation.
KETRACO said the additional route will give operators more flexibility in managing the transmission network by providing an alternative supply path and greater backup capacity.
The improved electricity supply is also expected to support agriculture, industry, commerce and public services in the region, where reliable power is needed to sustain economic activity.
Speaking during the energisation ceremony in Nanyuki, KETRACO Acting Managing Director Kipkemoi Kibias said the project had taken years to complete after its journey began in 2012.
“The journey of this project started in 2012, and despite the challenges, we are happy that today the people of Nanyuki, Isiolo and, by extension, the people of Nyeri, can finally see this long-awaited project come to fruition,” Kibias said.
He said the benefits of the new line were already being seen, particularly at the Nanyuki Substation where voltage levels improved immediately after the line was switched on.
“Immediately upon energisation, the voltage at Nanyuki Substation improved from 123kV to 130kV. That is an immediate benefit of this project,” he said.
The project also provides transmission infrastructure for the LAPSSET Corridor and is expected to support the connection and evacuation of power from future renewable energy projects in Upper Eastern and Northern Kenya.
Part of the construction involved approximately 4.2 kilometres of underground cable near Nanyuki.
KETRACO said the section was changed from an overhead line after security restrictions around Laikipia Air Base made the original design unsuitable.
The wider project works included 65 kilometres of 132kV single-circuit overhead transmission line and two kilometres of overhead line constructed on triple-circuit towers.
KETRACO Board Director Mercylynate Rotich, who represented the Board Chairperson at the event, praised the company's staff for their role in expanding the country's transmission network.
Rotich said the project was another step towards strengthening the national grid and extending more reliable electricity to areas that have previously experienced supply challenges.
The new transmission line will provide an alternative supply route to Nanyuki, Kutus, Meru, Ishiara, Kieni, Kiganjo and Isiolo, giving KETRACO greater flexibility in managing the grid while improving its stability.
Kibias said KETRACO was continuing with efforts to complete transmission projects that had stalled while also developing new infrastructure to keep pace with rising electricity demand.
Among the projects being pursued is the Loiyangalani-Marsabit-Isiolo transmission link, which he said would further improve voltage levels and increase transmission capacity in the region.
KETRACO also expects to energise the 132kV Nanyuki-Rumuruti Transmission Line within three weeks, adding another link to ongoing efforts to strengthen electricity transmission infrastructure across the Mount Kenya region.