Tanzania and Kenya experienced widespread power outages in the early hours of December 18, 2024. In a press release, the Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited (TANESCO) attributed the outage to a fault in the national grid.

“The Tanzania Electric Supply Company (TANESCO) informs the public about a fault that occurred in the National Grid System today, December 18, 2024, at 12:12 a.m. This fault has resulted in power outages in regions supplied by the National Grid,” the TANESCO statement reads.

Kenya Power also reported a similar issue, stating that the cause of the outage was still under investigation.

“We are experiencing a widespread power outage affecting most of the country, except parts of Western and North Rift regions. The cause of this outage is yet to be determined,” read the press release issued at 1:28 a.m.

Although the exact cause of the outages remains unclear, the incidents occurred amid reports that Ethiopia has recently begun trialing power exports to Kenya and Tanzania.

By around 4:55 a.m., Kenya Power reported that electricity had been restored in most areas. Power was also restored on the Tanzanian side.