Unguja. The Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar (RGZ) has attributed persistent power outages affecting homes and businesses across the islands to ageing transmission infrastructure and rising electricity demand, while outlining measures aimed at stabilising supply in the coming months.
The explanation was delivered in the House of Representatives on Monday, February 23, 2026, in response to concerns raised by Chambani Representative Mr Mahmoud Shineni Ali.
The representative sought clarification on the causes of frequent blackouts that have disrupted economic activity across the archipelago over the past three months.
In its response, the Minister responsible for Water, Energy, and Minerals, Nadir Abdullatif Alwardi, said Zanzibar relies on undersea transmission cables supplied by the Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited (Tanesco) to receive electricity from mainland Tanzania.
“On Unguja, two main cables are currently operational: a 45-megawatt line installed in 1980 and a 100-megawatt line commissioned later,” he said.
The minister said both cables are operating close to their maximum transmission capacity.
He said Unguja currently receives 135.7 megawatts against a demand of 165 megawatts, leaving a deficit of about 30 megawatts.
Meanwhile, the minister added, Pemba receives 20 megawatts, slightly above its demand of 16.7 megawatts.
“The rapid economic expansion, population growth, and increased housing development have placed additional strain on the distribution network, forcing operators to implement load-shedding in some areas to prevent system failure or damage to transmission lines,” he said.
To address the shortfall, he said the RGZ, through the Zanzibar Electricity Corporation (Zeco), has activated 30 generators expected to inject 20 megawatts into the grid.
The utility is currently synchronising the additional supply, a process authorities say will significantly reduce outages once completed.
Furthermore, Mr Alwardi, said the government is also preparing to add a further 35 megawatts from a specialised power-generation vessel stationed behind Hotel Verde Mtoni.
Responding to calls for compensation from affected residents, he said electricity shortages are not unique to Zanzibar but reflect a broader regional challenge across Africa.
During an energy conference held in February 2025 in Dar es Salaam, participants acknowledged widespread supply deficits and agreed on measures to address them.
Authorities said public notices have been issued to inform residents about power interruptions.
However, they maintained that because the situation is considered a national challenge rather than an isolated incident, the government is not in a position to assess individual losses or provide compensation.
Officials added that medium- and long-term solutions are being implemented through energy sector projects financed by the World Bank (WB) and the African Development Bank (AfDB).
Once completed, the projects are expected to ease supply constraints and stabilise electricity availability across the islands.
