Kenya Power is my country’s only power distributor. It has had the monopoly on the distribution and supply of power since independence, I think, when it was known as Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC).

Kenya Power is probably the most complained about company in the country, perhaps along with Safaricom. Power in the country can disappear at any moment for reasons that aren’t clear to anyone, and at times even to Kenya Power themselves when you call their helpline; and Kenyan’s have become so used to the power outages when it rains that in my house when the clouds start darkening take out our paraffin lamps in readiness for dark times (pun intended). Of course if this only happened in the rural areas it would not be such a problem, but it’s something that affects the entire country no matter where you stay.