By Mercy A.
Kenya Power, through its Institute of Energy Studies and Research (IESR), has launched a wildlife protection project aimed at safeguarding birds of prey and other animals from electrocution while enhancing electricity supply reliability across the country.
The initiative, being implemented in partnership with US-based Kaddas Enterprises, will focus on sections of Kenya’s electricity network that pass through key wildlife corridors. The project will involve retrofitting wildlife-friendly covers on power lines identified as electrocution hotspots.
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According to Kenya Power, the programme seeks to address a growing challenge that affects both wildlife conservation and power distribution.
“Wildlife is part of our national heritage which heavily drives our tourism sector. Equally, Kenya Power’s role in energy distribution is a key component of our country’s economic growth. Our aspiration is to ensure peaceful co-existence between nature and the energy infrastructure,” said Eng. Henry Pwani, Head of Research at IESR.
The project has commenced at Soysambu Conservancy, about 130 kilometres northwest of Nairobi, where a significant number of bird electrocution cases have been reported.
The conservancy is a critical habitat for several raptor species, including the Augur Buzzard and the Martial Eagle, which frequently use power poles and lines for perching and hunting.
Kenya Power estimates that animal-related incidents, alongside human activities, contribute to approximately 50 per cent of power outages across the country. Of these disruptions, about 30 per cent are linked to wildlife contact with power lines.
The five-year partnership between Kenya Power and Kaddas Enterprises is expected to substantially reduce wildlife electrocution incidents while cutting the number of power interruptions caused by such occurrences.
“By safeguarding wildlife, we are also improving power supply reliability to give a better experience for our customers. This is a win-win situation for the environment and our business,” said Eng. Pwani.
He added that IESR will continue exploring innovative solutions to address challenges affecting communities served by Kenya Power’s infrastructure.
A key focus area is the Lanet–Naivasha Interconnector, which traverses Soysambu Conservancy and has experienced repeated power supply interruptions linked to the electrocution of birds and large animals, including giraffes.
Kenya Power says lessons learned from the implementation of the project along this transmission corridor will inform the rollout of similar interventions in other wildlife-electrocution hotspots across the country.
“This line serves a big part of Nakuru County and by undertaking this project here, we are looking forward to picking lessons that will be helpful as the project is rolled out to other hotspot areas across the country,” said Wesley Kerich, Kenya Power’s County Business Manager for Nakuru.
Beyond installing wildlife-friendly covers on power infrastructure, the partnership also includes a capacity-building component targeting Kenya Power’s technical staff. The training programme is designed to raise awareness and develop internal champions who will help integrate wildlife protection considerations into the planning and design of energy infrastructure.
The initiative underscores Kenya Power’s efforts to balance reliable energy distribution with environmental conservation, while protecting critical wildlife species and reducing costly power disruptions.
