Kenya Power has announced a planned disruption of its token purchase service for prepaid electricity customers on Thursday night, citing emergency system maintenance.
In a statement issued earlier in the day, the utility firm said the service would be temporarily unavailable for two hours—from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m.—to allow for critical updates.
“Kenya Power wishes to inform its prepaid customers that electricity token purchase services will be temporarily unavailable for two hours starting at 11:00 p.m. tonight,” the company said.
“This is due to an emergency system maintenance exercise aimed at improving service efficiency and enhancing customer experience.”
Customers Urged to Plan Ahead
Consumers have been advised to purchase electricity tokens in advance to avoid running out of power during the blackout window.
The company urged users needing assistance to reach out via 97771 or dial *977# on their mobile phones.
While routine maintenance is not uncommon, tonight’s disruption comes amid lingering frustrations from earlier this year, when token generation delays sparked backlash on social media.
Previous Glitches and Public Concern
In mid-February, thousands of Kenyans complained about hours-long delays after purchasing tokens via Paybill. Kenya Power later confirmed the fault stemmed from technical issues on its end.
“We are currently experiencing a delay in the generation of tokens purchased through our Paybill 888880. Our team is working to resolve the issue as soon as possible,” the company said in a statement at the time.
The repeated disruptions have made many customers wary, especially those relying on last-minute top-ups.
“I try to plan ahead, but sometimes you forget,” said Mercy Wanjiku, a customer in Nairobi’s Donholm estate. “And if you can’t get a token at night, you’re stuck in darkness until morning.”
Kenya Power’s Pledge
Despite these setbacks, Kenya Power insists that such maintenance work is necessary to strengthen its systems and improve reliability.
The company has not disclosed the exact nature of Thursday night's upgrades but said they are part of broader efforts to enhance service delivery.
Still, for many customers, the true test will be whether tokens are easier—and faster—to buy once the lights are back on.