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{
    "id": 420436,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/420436/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 90,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Mwakulegwa",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 101,
        "legal_name": "Danson Mwazo Mwakulegwa",
        "slug": "danson-mwazo"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. The power supply to Garissa Town is from a diesel power plant with a total installed capacity of 4.8 megawatts. The effective capacity being produced is 4.4 megawatts and the customer base in Garissa is over 11,000. On Wednesday, 5th March, 2014, at 8.30 a.m. a fire started from engine No.2 housed in the old power house. The fire exploded and spread to all the other engines housed in the old power house. The old power house together with the station’s switch gear, cables and the accessories were completely damaged, cutting off supply to the whole of Garissa Town. Garissa Town is an isolated power station and is not, therefore, connected to the national grid. Thus, there were no alternative sources of power to supply the town. But on the response by the concerned, the power plant team immediately put off the fuel supply to the generating sites and also isolated electrical supplies. A team from the Kenya Defence Forces and other Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) swiftly moved in to fight the fire and by 3.00 p.m. they had been able to contain the fire. The Managing Director, Kenya Power and Lighting Company, Dr. Ben Chumo, and the Managing Director, KenGen, Eng. Albert Mugo, and a technical team from the Kenya Power and KenGen flew into Garissa and were on site by 12.00 p.m. the same day. The team assessed the situation and action plans were put in place to restore the supply. Works to restore the supply started immediately with an additional Kenya Power Company (KPC) team being flown from Nairobi to help the team on the ground. The team worked overnight and by 3.00 a.m. on Thursday morning, 6th March, temporary cables were installed and tested. By 10.00 a.m. on Thursday, a total of two megawatts were installed and the power was supplied to the emergency sites. This facilitated the restoration to the hospital and water works. Another three pumps of 850 Kv each were delivered. They had been installed by Aggrecko by Sunday 9th March, 2014. By 3.00 p.m., they restored power to the entire Garissa Town. Mr. Speaker, Sir, another fourth engine of 850 kilowatts is being installed, basically to alleviate the shortage which existed before the fire, so that the town could actually be given adequate supply. The long-term solution is that the Government is constructing a 132 Kv transmission line from Kamburu to Garissa. This will connect Garissa to the national grid and address the shortfall and challenges that have faced The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}