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BY SHADRACK KIPKURUI

NAME: KENNEDY KIPLIMO ROTICH

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ADMISSION NO: TED/078/19

SCHOOL: UNIVERSITY OF ELDORET

DEPARTMENT: ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING

SUBJECT: INDUSTRIAL ATTACHMENT REPORT

CASE STUDY: KENYA POWER AND LIGHTING COMPANY

UNIT: TEDU 499

SUPERVISOR: ENGiNEER WILLIAM KETER

ASSESSOR: DR PAUL RUTO

DATE: 12TH MAY 2023-31TH JULY 2023

Contents
DECLARATION..............................................................................................................................................5
CERTIFICATION............................................................................................................................................5
DEDICATION................................................................................................................................................6
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS................................................................................................................................7
ABSTRACT....................................................................................................................................................8
KENYA POWER AND LIGHTING COMPANY BACKGROUND INFORMATION..................................................9
ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE.....................................................................................................................10
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..................................................................................................................................................................10
MISSION....................................................................................................................................................10
VISION.......................................................................................................................................................10
CORE VALUES............................................................................................................................................11
QUALITY POLICY........................................................................................................................................11
INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................................................................11
SAFETY PRECAUTION.................................................................................................................................14
Kenya power Safety Rules for all employees.........................................................................................15
Kenya power Safety Rules for all consumers.........................................................................................18
ATTACHMENT DESIGNATED DEPARTMENTS ATTENDEND........................................................................20
CUSTOMER SERVICE..............................................................................................................................20

DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION DEPARTMENT........................................................................................23

Overview of the Kenya power system and the role of KPLC..............................................................23
Transformers.....................................................................................................................................27
Conductors/ cables............................................................................................................................29
Support structures.............................................................................................................................30
KPLC facility database (FDB)..............................................................................................................32
Design and construction department/ Business Development department.....................................33
Costing...............................................................................................................................................34
First insertion process....................................................................................................................34to
Design of a low voltage distribution network....................................................................................36
Contracting an account and metering...............................................................................................40
OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT.................................................................................43
Substation..........................................................................................................................................43
Load check.........................................................................................................................................47
Faults.................................................................................................................................................48
Pole maintenance..............................................................................................................................53
Wiring and commissioning of a transformer.....................................................................................54
Earthing / grounding..........................................................................................................................55
Measuring soil resistance..................................................................................................................57
Surge arrestor/ diverter.....................................................................................................................57
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OBSERVED COMPANY FAILURES................................................................................................................59

RECOMMENDATIONS................................................................................................................................59
Design considerations............................................................................................................................59
CONCLUSION.............................................................................................................................................60
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DECLARATION
I declare that this attachment report is my own work. Where collaboration with other people has

taken place or material generated by other researchers is included the parties and/or materials are

indicated in the acknowledgements or are explicitly stated with references as appropriate.

This work is being submitted for a Diploma in Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Kitale

National Polytechnic. It has not been submitted by any other institution for any other Diploma or

Examination.

Name: ……………………………………………………….

Signature: …………………………….

Date: ………………………………….

CERTIFICATION
This attachment report has been submitted with my approval.

Name: ………………………………………………………….

Signature: ……………………………...

Date: …………………………………...
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DEDICATION
I dedicate this work to my beloved parents with my grandfather for the shear effort they have put

towards my education.

I also dedicate this work to all the people who have helped me in my undergoing course study

which include my tutors and classmates

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The development of this report took an effort, support and guidance of a number of people whom

I wish to thank.

I acknowledge and express my gratitude to Engineer William Keter my supervisor during most

of my attachment for a great support and direction that he extended not to mention all

contribution he made towards facilitating the success of my attachment.

I also extend a lot of appreciation to field supervisor, Engineer Lang’at who ensured that all

facilities necessary for the industrial attachment exercise were at my disposal. Thanks to the

team I was patched with, all their directions, explanations, technical and intellectual support

amounted to the quality experience I gained.

ABSTRACT
The purpose of this report is to provide the details of the intuition of attachment, a description of

all the activities undertaken during the same, the lessons learnt and challenges during the

attachment period. The essence of attachment is to open a deeper insight at the application of the

knowledge learnt in school.

I have gained knowledge on how to diagnose a fault in a transformer that has been brought to

workshop as well knowing how to repair it.

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I have also learned the steps followed in booking a meter by use of ICNMS , respond to

customers queries e.g issues of fault or stolen meters.

I have also got to learn the reason as to why the Kenya power cuts down or prun the tresss that

touches the low voltage lines.

I will going to describe in detail about the customer service department E-Plant and operation

and maintenance department since these are the fields I was attached.

HISTORY OF THE KENYA POWER AND LIGHTING COMPANY

Kenya Power traces its origins to 1875 when Seyyied Barghash, the Sultan of Zanzibar, acquired

a generator to light his palace and nearby streets. This generator was acquired in 1908 by Harrali

Esmailjee Jeevanjee, a Mombasa-based merchant, leading to the formation of the Mombasa

Electric Power and Lighting Company whose mandate was to provide electricity to the island. In

the same year, Engineer Clement Hirtzel was granted the exclusive right to supply Nairobi city

with electricity. This led to the formation of the Nairobi Power and Lighting Syndicate.

In 1922, the Mombasa Electric Power and Lighting Company and Nairobi Power and Lighting

Syndicate merged under a new company known as East African Power and Lighting

Company (EAP&L).

On February 1, 1954, Kenya Power Company (KPC) was formed and commissioned to construct

the transmission line between Nairobi and Tororo in Uganda. This was to transmit power

generated at the Owen Falls Dam to Kenya. KPC was managed by EAP&L under a management

contract. In the same year, EAP&L listed its shares on the Nairobi Securities Exchange. Making

it one of the first companies to list on the bourse.

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EAP&L exited Tanzania in 1964 by selling its stake in TANESCO to the Government of

Tanzania. Due to its presence in only Kenya, EAP&L was renamed the Kenya Power and

Lighting Company Limited (KPLC) in 1983.

Kenya Power Company de-merged from KPLC in 1997 and rebranded to Kenya Electricity

Generating Company (KenGen) and in 2008, the electricity transmission infrastructure function

was carved out of KPLC and transferred to the newly formed Kenya Electricity Transmission

Company (KETRACO). Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) was re-branded Kenya

Power in June 2011.

ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE

Chief Executive Officer & managing

director

General Managers

Corporate affairs Human Regional Supply

Finance
& company resources & operation chains
secretary administration s

Customer Network & IT & Business Infrastructure

service management Telecommunications strategy development

Regional managers

County Business
Mangers

Engineers, technician, contractors etc.

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MISSION
Powering people for better lives by innovatively securing business sustainability.

By striving to provide world-class products and services that delight our customers and

transform lives as we ensure viability of our business.

VISION
Energy solutions provider of choice.

By becoming the preferred energy solution for businesses and individuals, we empower our

customers to achieve more and reach their full potential

CORE VALUES
 We put our customers first as they matter most

 We work together as one team to achieve our goals

 We are passionate about powering the nation

 We believe in integrity and delivering on our promises

 We strive for excellence in all that we do

 We are accountable to our customers and stakeholders

PRODUCTS/SERVICES RENDERED
The Kenya Power & Lighting Company (KPLC) is committed to provide cost effective, reliable

and quality power that delights customers and better’s people’s lives.Being the only company of its
kind in Kenya, the Kenya power takes the job of bringing power to the people.

It is in the business of power supply and hence its distribution to homes and business to ensure smooth

running of day-to-day activities. Kenya Power is responsible for ensuring that there is adequate line
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capacity to maintain supply and quality of electricity across the country. The interconnected network of

transmission and distribution lines cover about 49,818 kilometers.

Through continuous efforts by Kenya Power and all its stakeholders, Kenya is on the international map as
one of the countries with the best annual connectivity rate in Africa.

In Kenya, electricity is mainly generated from Hydro, Thermal and Geothermal sources - with wind
generation accounting for less than 6 Megawatts of the installed capacity. Currently, hydropower
comprises over 40 percent of the installed capacity in Kenya and is sourced from various stations
managed by the Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen).

National grid
The national grid is operated as an integral network linked by a 220 kV and 132 kV transmission network.
There is a limited length of 66 kV transmission lines. The national grid impacts on the future growth of the
energy sector because any new generation capacity must take into consideration the existing network
and its capacity to handle new loads.

Expansion
Kenya Power reinforces the power transmission and distribution network by constructing additional lines
and substations.

Efficiency
Efficiency of the transmission and distribution network continues to be enhanced in both technical and
non-technical aspects. (See our annual report for more information on transmission system plans.)
Technical improvements include re-conducting of lines, installation of capacitors, and construction of
additional feeders and substations. Non-technical improvements include introduction of electronic meters,
improvement of meter reading accuracy, fraud control and resolution of billing anomalies.

Supply and demand of electricity

Kenya Power currently has more than 2.6 million customers. Total electricity consumption in the
2012/2013 financial year was 8,087 gigawatt hours. The maximum daily electricity peak demand recorded
in the last financial year (2012/2013) was 1,353 MW.
CONTRIBUTION TO THE ECONOMY/SOCIETY
1.Source of revenue to the government
2.Source of green energy
3.Source of employment
4.Improve security
EXPERIENCED GAINED
CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE
E-PlANT
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ted (UETCL). Kenya Power holds and operates the national transmission and distribution grid,

and is responsible for the scheduling and dispatch of electricity to more than 500, 000 customers

throughout.

ATTACHMENT DESIGNATED DEPARTMENTS ATTENDEND

Kenya power has different operational structures depending on the population of the region on

which operations are to be undertaken.

This are the 8 departments that operate in a region branch of the Kenya Power and Lighting

Company;

1. Customer Service department

2. Operation and Maintenance department

3. Meter reading department(Revenue collection)

CUSTOMER SERVICE
The Customer Service division is mandated to undertake customer related aspects of the

business. Specifically, this includes but is not limited to analysis of electricity unit sales growth

in the plan period, sales from new and existing customers, innovations and service reforms to

enhance sales growth and customer satisfaction.

The Division is responsible for the sale of electricity to over 4,7 million customers countrywide.
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Overview of the Kenya power system and the role of KPLC

Kenya Power and Lighting Company transmits, distributes and retails electricity to consumers

throughout Kenya. They construct low voltage lines which are used to distribute power to

consumers.

The power that is distributed by Kenya Power and Lighting Company is generated from various

sources such as water, wind, sun, steam, coal, diesel generators.

 Power generated by water is called hydro-electric power and hydro plants in Kenya

include: -Gitaru, Kindaruma, Kamburu, Masinga, Sondu Miriu and Kiambere.

 Power generated by wind is called wind power and wind power generation sites in Kenya

include: - Ngong Hills and upcoming projects in Lamu and Turkana.

Ngong Hills wind farm

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 Power generated by sun is called solar power and is generated all over the country by use of

individually purchased solar panels by consumers.

The Kenya Government aim is to have the sector produce 600 MWp by 2030. To attain this

goal, it has launched several projects across the country this include; Samburu Solar Project

(40 MWp), Kopere Solar Park in Kisumu (22,7 MWp), Witu Solar Project (40 MWp), Garissa

Solar Project (55MWp), Isiolo County Solar Project (40 MWp), Nakuru Solar Project

(25MWp)

50MW Solar station in Garrisa

 Power generated by steam is called geo-thermal power and geo-thermal power generation

sites in Kenya include: - Olkaria I, II, IV, Eburu plants.

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 Power generated by diesel generators is called thermal power and thermal power plants in

Kenya include: - Kipevu I, III, Garrisa Embakasi gas turbines.

 Power is also generated using coal and coal power plants exist in Lamu.

There are different companies involved from generation to transmission and finally to

distribution of power.

The company involved in generation of power is called Kenya Generation Company Limited

(KenGen).

There also exists independent power producers (IPP’s) such as Iberafrica, Westmont, Tsavo and

OrPower4.

The company involved in transmission is Kenya Transmission Company (KETRACO).

The company involved in distribution is Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC).

Kenya currently produces around 2GW of power on average from all viable sources, 3GW short

of the 5GW target. The current electricity demand is 1.9GW and is growing rapidly.

The required energy reserve should be at least 20% of the installed capacity but Kenya has only

5% energy reserve which is undesirable.

Power is transmitted and distributed at various voltages. The transmission voltages include: -

i. 400KV DC- currently under construction between Kenya and Ethiopia.

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ii. 220 KV A.C

iii. 132 KV A.C

iv. 66KV A.C

The distribution voltages include: -

i. 33 KV A.C

ii. 11 KV A.C

iii. 415 V A.C

iv. 240 V A.C

Simple transformer diagram

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Three phase transformer

Cross arm

Shackle insulator

Pin type insulator

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OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT

Substation
During my attachment through the guidance of Eng. Lang’at ,I and my fellow attachees were taken to
the substation.I got to learn on on how a substation operates

A substation is a part of an electrical generation, transmission and distribution system.

Substations mainly receive energy transmitted at high voltage from the generating stations,

transform the voltage to a value appropriate for local distribution and provide switching

facilities.

Substations generally have switching, protection and control equipment and transformers. In a

large substation, circuit breakers are used to interrupt any short circuits or overload currents that

may occur on the network. In a small substation, recloser circuit breakers or fuses are used for

protection of the distribution networks.

Substations may be on the surface in fenced enclosures, underground or in special purpose

buildings.
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A distribution substation transfers power from a transmission system to a distribution system of a

locale. Distribution substations mainly transform voltage to a value suitable for local distribution

since it is uneconomical to connect customers directly to the main transmission network unless

they consume large amounts of power.

The input to a distribution substation may be at least two transmission lines. Input voltage may

be 33KV and output voltage via feeders 11KV. The feeders run along streets overhead/

underground and power distribution transformers at customer’s premises or near customer

premises step down voltage.

Distribution substations also isolate faults in either the transmission or distribution systems.

In a distribution substation there exists a bus bar. A bus bar is a strip of copper or aluminium on

which power is concentrated for distribution. The size of a bus bar determines the maximum

amount of current that can be safely carried.

Bus bar

Bus bars are either flat strips or hollow tubes as these shapes allow heat to dissipate more

efficiently due to their high surface area to cross sectional area ratio.

A bus bar may be supported on insulators or may be completely surrounded by insulation. They

are protected from accidental contact by metal earthed enclosure or elevation from normal reach.
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Bus bars may be connected to each other and electrical apparatus by bolted clamps or welded

connections.

In a distribution substation there must also exist lightning arrestors. These are protective devices

for limiting surge voltages due to lightning strikes or equipment faults to prevent damage to

equipment and disruption of service. They are also called surge arrestors.

They are installed on equipment such as poles, towers, transformers, circuit breakers, bus

structures in substations.

Distribution substations also have circuit breakers. A circuit breaker is an automatically operated

electrical switch designed to protect an electrical circuit from damage caused by an overload or

short circuit current. The circuit breaker isolates the faulty part of the power system in case of

abnormal conditions. a protective relay in the circuit breaker detects faults and sends a tripping

signal after which the circuit breaker isolates the faulty part of the power system.

Transformers are also a major component in distribution substations. A transformer is a static

piece of apparatus which transfers electrical power from one alternating circuit to another with

the desired change in voltage without any change in frequency.

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Transformers have primary windings and secondary windings through which voltage is stepped

up or down by mutual induction.

The ratio of secondary e.m.f to primary e.m.f is the voltage transformation ratio usually denoted

as E2/E1=N2/N1. N is the number of turns while E is the induced e.m.f.

The transformers in distribution substations are provided with taps in order to adjust the voltage

ratio of the transformer in accordance with the changing loads. The main type of transformer

used is the oil filled transformer that uses oil for the cooling of the major parts of the

transformer. The oil filled transformers have conservator tanks that store extra oil in case of a

drop in oil level.

CONCLUSION
The Industrial Attachment challenged me to examine the values of the organization involved in

the experience, and to assess my education as it relates to the Industrial Attachment.

Other benefits I gained from the Industrial Attachment include

1. Explored career interests

2. Learned new skills

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3. Gained work experience

4. Developed a professional network

5. Understood workplace expectations

6. Gained valuable experience to build my resume

7. Found out what it's like to work in my potential career