NAIROBI, Kenya - Winfred Mwema sat in her tiny hair salon Monday and worried: Without electricity, how could she have any customers?

Kenyans across the East African nation fretted in the countdown to Monday's start to the daily power cuts which many said could threaten businesses, jobs and Kenya's economy itself.

"My customers are crying, we are crying. There is nothing to do," Mwema said, surrounded by blow dryers and curling irons soon to be superfluous. "I don't know who to blame."

Many in the nation of 29 million are blaming the government. Critics say the Ministry of Energy and others failed to act on last year's warnings that the little rainfall forecast for the year's rainy season would leave hydroelectric dams high and dry.

Kenneth Matiba, who was President Daniel arap Moi's runner-up in 1992 elections, said Monday that the power rationing "shows clearly Moi and his government and parliamentarians have failed Kenyans."

The government approved the 12-hour daily power cuts for most of the nation last week. The cuts are to run 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. for residential areas, 6:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. in industrial areas. Only on Sundays will the lights, appliances and motors stay on all day.

The Indian Ocean port of Mombasa, Kenya's second-largest city, and surrounding areas will be spared the power cuts since they are supplied from diesel-powered sources.

Kenyans got a 12-hour reprieve on the scheduled start of rationing Monday, while small-business owners pressed energy officials unsuccessfully for a last-minute partial exemption.

The lights in industrial areas went out as scheduled Monday night, the monopoly Kenya Power and Lighting Co. said.

Few in Kenya - where 57 percent of the people live in poverty - can afford generators or the fuel to run them.

Many of small businesses and industries are in residential neighborhoods, meaning they will have no power during the working day.

At night, police promised extra security in the cities to discourage criminals from taking advantage of the dark.

Households and restaurants began what would be a daily struggle to keep food from going bad in refrigerators during the 12-hour power cuts. Hospitals demanded adequate power for surgery and other critical care.

But the overwhelming worry was for Kenya's economy, slipping under years of sluggish growth. Last year the economy grew just 1.4 percent.

"We in small businesses will be pushed out completely," said Stephen Njoroge, manager of a 22-employee firm that makes kitchen utensils. "How will I relate to my customers at night? I will have to pay more overtime hours, and that means I will cut the staff."

Gerald Otieno, a 23-year-old welder, also lamented that without electricity, there would be no work. "We are praying they come up with an alternative."

Earlier in May, Energy Minister Francis Masakhalia said the government would decide whether to import additional diesel generators or buy more power from neighboring Uganda. Either option would mean higher electricity costs for consumers. Officials have reported no decisions.

Forecasters said water levels in Kenya's reservoirs and rivers would probably not go up until September, when the short rains begin.