Kenya Power staff disconnecting illegal connections. [Photo/businessdaily]
A new law now proposes that homes and businesses making illegal power connections will pay a Sh1 million fine.
This is according to the Energy Bill 2017, which was tabled in Parliament last week.
The bill also gives room for a jail term of at least a year for the offenders.
This is an upgrade to the current law that has a maximum jail term of one year and capped the fines at Sh1 million, allowing the courts to impose penalties of as a little as Sh50,000.
The Bill, however, retains provisions that would allow Kenya Power to discontinue provision of electricity to homes found in contravention of the law.
“In any case where the person who commits an offence is the consumer, the licensee may also discontinue the supply of electrical energy to the premises of such consumer or abstain from resuming such supply,” says the proposed Bill.
Previous reports from KPLC indicate that illegal connections cost as much as Sh1 billion in revenue.