Floating island in Lake Victoria causes power cut

A huge floating island of water hyacinth caused a nationwide power cut across Uganda on Tuesday, after clogging a turbine in a hydroelectric power station.

Simon Kasyate, an official, told reporters “It was at least two acres, almost two football size pitches”.

The blackout forced President Museveni’s television address to the nation on the Covid-19 crisis back an hour.

Lake Victoria, which three countries border (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda), is often invaded by water hyacinth.

Uganda’s power utility, Eskom Uganda said in a statement that the mass of vegetation clogged the turbines of Nalubaale Hydro Power Station, causing widespread disruption.

One of the reasons could have been the lake’s “current rising water levels”, according to the power utility.

The water level in the lake is currently at 13.12m, almost reaching the record high of 13.46m seen in 1964, said Mr Kasyate, from the Uganda Electricity Generation Company.

It is usually between seven and nine metres deep, he said.

Heavy rain, clogging of the lake's tributaries, and pollution could also explain the island's movement.

He added that electricity had finally been restored, but workers were still chopping off parts of the island.

"We have always managed to manually deal with this plant - this one was unprecedented," said Mr Kasyate.

Photo: Uganda Electricity Transmission