Tanzania has begun rationing electricity due to a drop in hydroelectric output after a severe drought, the national power company said Wednesday (November 24), with some areas facing nine-hour blackouts.
The East African country can produce nearly 1,695 megawatts of power from hydroelectricity and natural gas, among other sources.
But it is currently facing a shortfall of 300 to 350 megawatts, said Maharage Chande, managing director of Tanesco, the national power company.
Like its neighbours, the country has experienced low rainfall and a delayed rainy season, forcing authorities to impose water rationing in Dar es Salaam last month.
The situation is even more dramatic in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia, which are facing the worst drought in decades.