Panic gripped Ngong Hills on Tuesday afternoon after a wind turbine at the Ngong Hills Wind Farm caught fire, causing significant damage and prompting safety concerns at the popular tourist site.
Images and videos from the scene showed thick plumes of smoke billowing from the turbine as flames engulfed the structure, alarming nearby residents and visitors to the area.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, the power producer confirmed that the fire broke out at around 3pm during a routine maintenance exercise at the wind farm.
The company said the affected turbine, with a capacity of 0.85 megawatts, had already been taken offline as part of scheduled maintenance.
“The affected turbine was offline at the time of the incident, and all personnel on site were accounted for and are safe,” the statement said, adding that there was no interruption or risk to electricity supply to the national grid.
The company noted that its safety team, working alongside relevant regulatory and safety agencies, has launched investigations to determine the cause of the fire and assess the extent of the damage.
The inquiry will also seek to identify corrective and preventive measures to avert similar incidents in the future.
Reaffirming its commitment to workplace safety, the electricity producer said strict health and safety standards continue to guide all maintenance and power generation operations across its facilities.
The Ngong Hills Wind Farm is one of Kenya’s key renewable energy projects and a flagship facility in the country’s push toward clean and sustainable power generation.
According to Ember’s Global Electricity Review 2022, Kenya ranks ninth globally and first in Africa in wind energy production, with wind power contributing about 16 per cent of electricity supplied to the national grid.
Following the incident, authorities temporarily cordoned off sections of the Ngong Hills Wind Farm as a precautionary measure, restricting public access to the popular tourist attraction known for its scenic views of the Rift Valley.
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