NAKURU,Kenya, Feb, 21 – Revenue worth Sh200 million are said to be lost every month in the Central Rift Region as a result of illegal power connections and vandalism according to Kenya Power.
According to the electricity provider, transformers and conductors alongside other critical infrastructure have been destroyed with Naivasha, Nakuru, Njoro and Mai Mahiu being identified as the most affected areas.
As result scores of families are said to be living in the dark in areas of Nakuru and Narok counties.
A multi-agency security team had launched an operation to weed out perpetrators of illegal power connections in Sakutiek trading center on the border of Nakuru and Narok county.
Authorities revealed that residents have paid almost Sh200,000 for illegal power connections.
“In Nakuru our monthly billing for consumers is around Sh900m but there are 23 percent in losses and we are keen to address this,” said Kenya Power business manager in Nakuru county Engineer Henry Pwani.
Electricity bills in the Central Rift region is said to stand at Sh1.4 billion per month amidst a 23 percent commercial losses due to illegal connections.
“We have so far established that over 60 homes are illegally connected and we shall disconnect the power and engage the consumers afresh so that they can get electricity legally,” he said.
Between July and December 2021, Kenya Power documented the destruction of at least 43 transformers worth Sh20 million in Nakuru county.
A nationwide ban on the sale of scrap metal is ongoing in a bid to address the menace.
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