Kenya Power, in collaboration with the Institute of Energy Studies and Research (IESR), has rolled out a wildlife protection project to safeguard birds of prey and other animals from electrocution.

The project will be implemented along sections of the country’s electricity network that are wildlife corridors. The implementation will be done in partnership with US-based Kaddas Enterprises. It involves retrofitting wildlife-friendly covers on sections of powerlines that are considered hotspots for electrocution.

The project was rolled off at the Soysambu Conservancy, located just an hour from Nakuru town and right next to Lake Elementaita. This 48,000-acre private conservancy is teeming with wildlife, birdlife and jaw-dropping Rift Valley scenery.

The Soysambu Conservancy is a critical habitat for Kenya’s raptors such as the Augur Buzzard and Martial Eagle, species that utilise powerlines and poles for perching and hunting

Head of Research at IESR Henry Pwani said Wildlife is part of our national heritage which heavily drives the tourism sector.

Equally, Kenya Power’s role in energy distribution is a key component of our country’s economic growth. The project’s aspiration is to ensure peaceful co-existence between nature and the energy infrastructure adding that, at IESR, the focus is to develop solutions that support this co-existence and enhance business efficiency.

Electrocution of animals and human activities account for most cases of power outages, estimated to be approximately 50 per cent. Of these, 30 per cent are attributable to wildlife contact with powerlines.

The five-year partnership between Kenya Power (through IESR) and Kaddas Enterprises is tipped to substantially reduce cases of electrocution of wildlife, as well as power outages resulting from these incidences.

“By safeguarding wildlife, we are also improving power supply reliability to give a better experience for our customers. This is a win-win situation to the environment and our business,” Eng Pwani said

IESR will continue to explore more solutions for the issues affecting the community where Kenya Power operates, the engineer said.

The Lanet-Naivasha Interconnector, which traverses Soysambu Conservancy, often experiences power supply interruptions linked to electrocution of birds and animals such as giraffes. Lessons from the implementation of the wildlife protection project along this line will be instrumental in the rollout of the project across other areas within the country.

“This line serves a big part of Nakuru County and by undertaking this project here, we are looking forward to picking lessons that will be helpful as the project is rolled out in other hotspot areas,” Wesley Kerich, Kenya Power’s County Business Manager for Nakuru, said.

Beyond retrofitting wildlife friendly covers on powerlines, the partnership between Kenya Power’s IESR and Kaddas Enterprises also includes a training component that target Kenya Power’s technical staff that is intended to create awareness and develop champions to spearhead the wildlife protection agenda in designing the energy infrastructure.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Joseph Ng’ang’a