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Oh my! Just learned today that power rationing is to end but electricity bills have been loaded to meet the cost of the alternative power provided by diesel generators. These generators were shipped in on a private contract with Aggreko, to help the Government combat the problem of water shortage/lack of hydro-electric power.
This would explain why for the last two months our domestic electricity bill has been 35,000 Kenya shillings! (£300)! Before it was 25,000/- (£200) per month and a year or two before that 15,000/- (£100) - yet we consistently use the same amount of power, for lighting, fridge, water heating (the oven is gas), all year round. (obviously there is no central heating here!).
I know that we shouldn't wish for El Nino rains of course - but just enough to fill the Nairobi dams and give Kenyan farmers a fighting chance with their crops next month would be nice!..
We are every day syphoning our soapy bath water out of an upstairs window to a standing water butt, to re use out in the garden. This involves my husband filling a hose pipe that runs through the window with tap water, then jamming it into the dirty bath, then listening for the water to trickle into the barrel downstairs. Our water preservation/collection methods are state of the art!!