Kenya Power engineers at work. [Photo/The Star]
Three people were arrested on Thursday as Kenya Power intensified security operations to stamp out vandalism, illegal connections and other crimes undermining electricity distribution.
Prepaid meters and conductors were also recovered in the operations. Surveillance exercises will continue countrywide to weed out the vices which undermine the quality of electricity supply to customers.
The arrests come less than a month since a Kibera court sentenced a suspect to 15 years in jail or a fine of Sh6 million for vandalizing a transformer. In the same case, three other co-suspects were jailed for 10 years each with the option of Sh5 million fine.
In the operations, Billy Rakwomi Buluma was arrested for consuming power without a meter at Kifinco area in Kakamega county.
Another suspect Moses Kipngeno Koskei was nabbed at Kapkatet area for constructing an illegal line for Agnes Chepkwony after obtaining Sh40,000 from her. Elsewhere, Alex Okwemwa was arrested at Kenyenya in Kisii county for vandalizing three wooden poles.
Two prepaid meters and a service cable were recovered in Likoni Pungu Villa areas after a customer reported an illegal line passing through his parcel of land.
A security team acting on a tip off conducted an operation at Mbuinjeru area of Kariene within Meru County and recovered seven prepaid meters and 50 metres of high voltage conductors.
The meters were kept at a customer’s home since May 2017 awaiting construction of an illegal line.
In Kisumu county, a joint operation at Holo and Kombewa areas managed to recover 7,200 metres of aluminum conductors and three prepaid meters.