BLACKOUT HITS KISUMU STATE LODGE DURING PRESIDENT RUTO’S MEDIA INTERVIEW.

The outage struck as Ruto responded to questions from journalists drawn from the Nyanza region. The live broadcast cut out several times, leaving the President and the press corps in temporary darkness before electricity was restored and the session resumed.

Visibly surprised, Ruto turned to his aides and demanded an explanation. “Why don’t you put this place on a generator so that we stop? Why don’t you switch the lights to the generator?” he asked. He later took personal responsibility for the lapse, telling journalists: “It is not you to be sorry; it is me because I am the owner of this place. I should be much more organised.” At one point he remarked in Swahili, “Tuko kwa giza”  “We are in darkness.”



The interruption occurred during Ruto’s four-day development tour of the Nyanza region. Earlier on Monday he had commissioned the Kisumu West Sub-County Police Headquarters as part of efforts to strengthen security in the area. In the media session that followed, the President addressed a range of national issues, including the affordable housing programme, infrastructure development, security and preparations for the 2027 general election.

Journalists pressed Ruto on the long-standing problem of unreliable electricity supply across Nyanza. He acknowledged the frustration felt by residents and businesses and linked the difficulties to historical marginalisation. “On the issue of power outage, you are so right,” he said. “We have a facility in Muhoroni which is very expensive, and it was my intention that that facility, by now it should be switched off and connect Kisumu to a line that joins Lessos. Unfortunately, that line has been delayed, and I really want to apologise to the people of this region that power here is very unreliable.”



Ruto stated that the government is fast-tracking construction of the power line from Lessos and other measures aimed at stabilising supply. He framed the blackout at the State Lodge itself as an illustration of the broader challenge facing the region and reiterated his administration’s commitment to resolving it.

The incident drew immediate public attention on social media and among local residents, many of whom have complained for years about frequent outages that disrupt businesses, schools and households. Kenya Power and related agencies had not issued an immediate detailed statement on the specific cause of the Kisumu State Lodge interruption by early Tuesday.

The President’s tour continues with further development launches and public engagements across Nyanza. Officials accompanying him said the media engagement eventually concluded after power was stabilised, allowing Ruto to complete his responses on housing projects, road networks and other government programmes in the region.

The blackout underscored ongoing concerns about electricity reliability in western Kenya even as the government promotes large-scale infrastructure and housing initiatives. Ruto’s public acceptance of responsibility for the State Lodge failure and his renewed pledges on the Lessos power line are expected to feature in continued scrutiny of service delivery in the region ahead of the 2027 polls.