Revealed: Kenya Power loses Ksh.200M monthly in Central Rift due to illegal connections

Kenya Power is losing over Ksh.200 million every month in revenue in the Central Rift region due to illegal connections and vandalism of transformers and conductors, it has emerged.

Naivasha, Nakuru, Njoro and Mai Mahiu have been identified as the most affected areas, though cases of vandalism targeting transformers are said to have gone down since President Uhuru Kenyatta banned scrap metal business.

This was revealed as tens of families were left in darkness in Sakutiek trading center on the border of Nakuru and Narok counties following a sting operation targeting illegal connections.

Kenya Power officials acted on a tip-off which established that many of the homes were illegally connected to electricity.

Kenya Power has since established that over 60 homes are illegally connected and will be disconnected to allow consumers to engage the power supplier in order to get electricity legally.

During the operation, it emerged that some of the families had paid over Ksh. 200,000 to get electricity supply, which turned out to be illegal.

One of the area residents, Eunice Nguruna, narrated how she sold part of her livestock and paid over Ksh. 150,000 to people masquerading as Kenya Power officials in order to get electricity.

Another victim, Denis Kamwaro, called on Kenya Power to engage them afresh so that power supply can be restored to their businesses and homes.

Speaking during the operation, the company’s business manager in Nakuru County Engineer Henry Pwani said that they had upped their operations targeting illegal connections.

According to Pwani, the electricity bills in the Central Rift region stood at Ksh.1.4 billion per month but a 23 per cent commercial loss was recorded due to illegal connections.

In Nakuru, Pwani said, Kenya Power's monthly billing for consumers stands at approximately Ksh.900 million but a 23 per cent loss has also been similarly been registered, which the power provider is keen to address.

On vandalism, Pwani noted that between July and December last year, Nakuru County lost 43 transformers worth over Ksh.20 million leading to massive losses for the company.

He however noted that the cases had dwindled since President Kenyatta banned scrap metal business following an increase in vandalism targeting electricity infrastructures.