President William Ruto was forced to pause a live television interview in Kisumu on Monday, September 14, 2026, after a blackout struck Kisumu State Lodge, turning the interruption into an unexpected reminder of the electricity problems affecting Nyanza.
The lights went off while Ruto was speaking during the interview, prompting the President to question why the facility’s generator had not been put into use to prevent the programme from being disrupted.
“Why don’t you put this place on a generator so that we stop? Why don’t you switch the lights to the generator?”
Ruto later accepted responsibility for the incident and apologised, saying the failure should not have occurred at a facility under his administration.
“It is not you to be sorry; it is me because I am the owner of this place. I should be much more organised.”
The interruption brought fresh attention to concerns over the reliability of electricity in Nyanza, with frequent power disruptions affecting homes, businesses and other activities that depend on a steady supply.
Ruto said his administration was working on measures aimed at improving electricity supply in the region and reducing interruptions.
The President made the remarks during his engagements in Kisumu, where he spoke about development, infrastructure and the government’s economic programmes.
The power failure became one of the most notable moments of the interview after the live broadcast was briefly affected, with Ruto also questioning why the backup system at the State Lodge had not been activated immediately.
He said improving the reliability of electricity was part of the government’s broader plans to strengthen infrastructure and improve service delivery across the region.
Ruto defends housing programme
During the same engagement, Ruto also highlighted employment opportunities linked to the government’s housing programme, saying it had provided work for people in different professions and construction trades.
“1.1 million people working in the housing program. We have people working on sites. We have mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, civil engineers, quantity surveyors, masons, carpenters, electricians, steel fixers…”
Ruto said the programme had opened opportunities for professionals as well as skilled workers involved in construction and related activities.
He pointed to the number of people working on housing sites as evidence of the economic opportunities being created through the programme.
The President’s remarks on employment came as he continued to outline his administration’s development agenda during his visit to Kisumu and the wider Luo Nyanza region.
However, the blackout at the State Lodge provided a stark backdrop to his comments on infrastructure and service delivery, as the interview itself was briefly brought to a standstill by the power interruption.
Ruto said the government would continue working to improve electricity reliability in Nyanza as part of efforts to strengthen services and infrastructure in the region.
The incident also placed the issue of dependable power supply at the centre of his Kisumu engagements, after the President personally experienced the disruption while speaking on live television.