Frequent and prolonged power outages remain a major challenge for electricity consumers in rural Tanzania, affecting households, businesses, and institutional operations. This study examined the patterns of power outages, evaluated the effectiveness of TANESCO–local government emergency response systems, and assessed the impacts of outages on electricity consumers in Sikonge District. Guided by Systems and Contingency theories, the study adopted a descriptive survey design with a purposive sample of 100 respondents, including household heads, business operators, and institutional representatives. Non-parametric tests and polynomial regression were employed due to non-normal data distributions. Findings revealed that outages in Sikonge are frequent, unpredictable, and often prolonged beyond six hours, with minimal prior notice or follow-up communication. Polynomial regression results showed a curvilinear relationship between outage patterns and consumer impacts, where initial increases in outages sharply intensified negative effects, but marginal impacts diminished at higher outage levels. Emergency response efficiency was strongly negatively correlated with consumer impacts, highlighting that timely and coordinated interventions reduce hardships. The study concludes that improving TANESCO–local government collaboration through real-time communication, coordinated emergency protocols, and strategic resource allocation can significantly enhance service reliability. It recommends targeted interventions including technological monitoring, consumer preparedness programs, and context-sensitive strategies tailored to rural operational challenges. These findings provide actionable insights for policymakers and utilities seeking to minimize the socio-economic consequences of power outages in rural Tanzania.
Chambua et al. (Mon,) studied this question.