KPLC Memes Flood Online After Nationwide Blackout: "Total Darkness"

• Kenya Power attributed a nationwide blackout to a system disturbance and restored power hours later
• However, the damage was already done as Kenyans complained about the monopoly power supplier
• Creative netizens shared memes about the blackout, as others narrated mishaps they had as a consequence

On Thursday, May 2, Kenyans took to social media to share memes following a power outage that affected most parts of the country.

Compilation of Kenya Power memes

Some popular memes included those mocking Kenya Power's inefficiency and the country's lack of a solution to the recurrent blackout issue.

Among those shared on Facebook was a photo of a woman who photographed her muddied leg after falling into a sewer after the country was plunged into darkness.

On X, one user ridiculed President William Ruto's regime, saying the blackout and the floods currently wreaking havoc in the country were some of the 10 plagues described in the Exodus story.

Other hilarious memes on the social media platforms included:

Felix Njika:

"KPLC has started the 2nd plague, total darkness."

Ombeva Joseh:

"Me with my solar power back up, watching and reading your KPLC blackout tweets."

John Ngeru:

"I was stuck in an elevator for over 30 minutes on the tenth floor. I have never sweat so much.”

Kay Sparks:

"KPLC should hand over operations to Kenya Breweries. It has never run out of stock or failed."

Billy The Goat:

“JKIA - Jomo Kenyatta International Aquarium. KPLC - Kenya Power Lighting Candles. We're doing great."

Joseh:

"KPLC must have been looking at all the drama happening in Kenya in the past couple of days and asking themselves "at what point do we make it about ourselves?". Now here we go. Nationwide blackout."

Jayden:

"I stopped trusting KPLC the day l found solar panels on their office roof."

What caused Kenya's nationwide blackout?

In a statement, Kenya Power said the blackout, which began at 5:40pm, was due to what it termed as a system disturbance.

The company apologised for the inconvenience caused, saying efforts to restore power in the country were ongoing.

When the outage ended around 10pm, the company thanked customers for their patience.

This was the latest nationwide outage to paralyse large parts of the country. Kenya has experienced at least five significant blackouts since 2022.

Proofreading by Nyambura Guthua, journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke