Much of Kenya was plunged into darkness on Thursday following a "power supply disruption", the country's main electricity provider said, adding that it was working to restore access.
The blackout struck as the East African nation battles torrential rains that have led to deadly floods, costing 188 lives and displacing 165,000 people.
On Thursday, Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) reported there had been "a system disturbance on the grid, resulting in power supply disruption in most parts of the country" from 5:40pm (1440 GMT).
"We regret any inconvenience caused and urge for patience from our customers as we work towards restoring normal power supply at the earliest opportunity," KPLC said.
'Problem on main grid'
As well as the capital Nairobi, with a population of five million, the blackout also affected other urban hubs including the port city of Mombasa.
"The power outage is in most parts of the country including Nakuru, Kisumu, Mombasa, Nyeri, Eldoret and other areas because the problem is on the main grid," an official at KPLC told AFP on condition of anonymity.
East Africa's economic powerhouse suffers power outages on a regular basis. In August las t year, several cities as well as the main airport, the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, were without electricity for hours due to a system disturbance.
Services, including immigration and baggage checks, were stopped at JKIA, one of Africa's busiest hubs, after a generator serving the main terminals failed.
Transport Minister Kipchumba Murkomen vowed at the time that such a situation would "not happen again."
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