Tanzania on Saturday, February 3, evening was affected by a countrywide blackout due to power failure in the national grid.
As a result, all regions connected to the national grid in Tanzania experienced a blackout after a breakdown at the power transmission facility.
According to the Tanzania Electricity Supply Company (Tanesco), the power outage was a result of a technical fault on the national grid.
Tanesco noted in a statement that technicians were working tirelessly to ensure power supply is restored in the country.
At the same time, Tanesco has called on its customers to remain calm as the matter is being handled by the technical team.
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The company has also apologized to Tanzanians due to the power interruption, promising that it was putting measures in place to prevent similar occurrences in future.
Areas affected by the power outage include Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Dodoma and Tanga.
Other areas are Mbeya, Morogoro, Manyara, Mwanza, Tabora, Kigoma, Singida, Njombe, Iringa, Shinyanga, Kagera and Ruvuma.
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The power outage has also affected water supply in Tanzania, since the water treatment companies rely on the national grid.
For instance, the Dar es Salaam Water and Sewerage Authority (Dawasa) has released a statement indicating that the blackout has affected its ability to supply water.
“We will resume a steady water supply to the affected areas once electricity is restored. We apologize for any inconveniences caused,” read part of Dawasa statement.
Power outages in Kenya
A similar countrywide power outage occurred in Kenya, in December 2023.
Speaking during a press briefing in Nairobi on December 11, Energy cabinet Davis Chirchir noted that the power outages were caused by overloading the power line due to lack of an update on the network system.
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Chirchir explained that the powerline between Kisumu and Muhoroni was meant to carry 80 megawatts, but there was need for 20 megawatts more hence the overload.
“Transmission failed due to system constraints, we don’t have the facility for the power needs in the country,” he said.
