Prepaid meters, conductors and service cables recovered in security operations

Nairobi, November 15, 2017…….Twelve wooden poles, 1,800 metres of conductors and 360 metres of service cable were yesterday recovered at Kiplombe and Chembulet areas in Uasin Gishu County as Kenya Power intensified crack down on illegal electricity connections.

The operation was conducted jointly by the Company security and operations & maintenance teams (O&M) and the matter was reported to Naiberi police station.

Elsewhere, in a similar operation carried out in the Coast region, an illegal line running below a high transmission line (HT line) was recovered at Kizingo area near Gede. During the operation, 1,600 metres of conductors, three service cables and three prepaid meters were recovered.

This comes two weeks after three suspects; Jackson Wambua Mutua, Jeremiah Wambua Tingi and Elisha Musindi Shivonje were arrested at Capitol Hill police canteen for the offence of connecting an illegal line to supply power to shops adjacent to the canteen.

The suspects were arraigned and charged before Kibera law courts on 6th November where they pleaded not guilty and were issued with a bond of KShs.20,000 each or cash bail of an equivalent amount, with mention of their case set for Monday.

“We are aware of the challenge of vandalism and illegal power connections pose to our business even as we expand the network and increase our footprint across the country. We will not relent on the war against these vices. We will sustain countrywide operations and heighten surveillance of our network installations,” said Kenya Power’s Security Services Manager Maj. Geoffrey Kigen (Rtd).

Because of increased surveillance on the network, the Company recorded a 40 per cent reduction in the number of vandalized transformers in the year ended 30th June, 2017 from 222 in the previous year to 133.

 

For more information, contact:

Kenya Power Corporate Communications Dept.

Tel. 0711 031 975

E-mail CorporateComms@kplc.co.ke