The Kenya Power has expressed concerns over the increasing number of Kenyans who have illegally connected themselves to the national grid.
According to the company's Security Services Manager Major Geoffrey Kigen, illegal connections of power among Kenyans is massive across the Country.
Kigen was responding to enquiries from Hivisasa after we published an article in which a 23-year-old man was electrocuted in Chirichiro Keumbu while allegedly doing an illegal connection from his mother's home to his house.
Kigen said during the last financial year, there were over 800 operations targeted at illegal power connection lines.
"It is worth noting that Illegal connections are massive. Security department only keeps data of the number of operations on illegal lines conducted and the suspects arrested from the operations. During the Financial Year 2018/2019, 853 operations on illegal lines were conducted leading recoveries of meters and conductors fraudulently installed," he said in an email seen by Hivisasa.
Kigen, however, pointed out that Kenya Power does not keep data of the number of lives lost their lives as a result of the illegal connection.
"Statistics on lives lost per day are not available at the moment. Currently, the company has 873 cases pending in court related to vandalism and illegal connections spread across the country," he said while warning those engaged in the illegal activity that they will be arrested and prosecuted.
According to section 168(1) (c) of the Energy Act 2019; A person who lays, erects or installs, or permits to be laid, erected or installed, any conductor or apparatus and connects it, or permits it to be connected, with any electric supply line through which electrical energy is supplied by a licensee, without the consent of the licensee (Kenya Power) commits an offense and shall on conviction, be liable to a fine of not less than one million shillings, or to a term of imprisonment of not less than one year, or to both," noted Kigen in the email.
Part of the email from Kenya Power. [Source/Geoff Gichana]
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