Prime Minister of Tanzania, Kassim Majaliwa, announces the shut down of five hydroelectric stations in the country, in order to reduce excess electricity in the national grid.

According to Mr Majaliwa, the main plant, which is Mwalimu Nyerere Hydroelectric Station, alone has already generated enough electricity to power major cities, including the country’s main commercial hub, Dar es Salaam.

“We have turned off all these stations because the demand is low and the electricity production is too much, we have no allocation now,” an official from the state-run power company, Tanesco, said.

The 2,115 MW Julius Nyerere hydropower dam is said to be almost full of water, following heavy rains that began earlier in the year. A current spell of extreme weather has led to at least 58 deaths in Tanzania and devastated other East African nations like Kenya.

It is the first time Tanzania, which suffers chronic power shortages, has closed hydroelectric stations as a result of excess production.