Anger over prolonged blackout

By LINAH BENYAWA

Prison wardens at the notorious Shimo la Tewa Maximum Prison in Mombasa County are suffering in silence after spending nearly six months without electricity.

The blackout has affected 350 prison officers and their dependants but officials claim electricity was disconnected only two months ago while wardens lament that they have been in the dark since mid this year.

Kenya Power Company disconnected electricity supply in the staff quarters following a Sh1.4 million bill.

 “All the staff quarters have been without power supply for almost six months now and we are shocked to see that the administration is not doing anything to bring power back,” said an officer.

He said that efforts to talk to the officer in charge to have power reconnected have fallen on deaf ears.

But Provincial Prisons Commissioner James Kodieny said a transformer supplying power to the quarters blew up due to an overload.

The officer also accused the wardens of making illegal connections, leading to an overload. He, however, admitted that they owe Kenya Power money.

“The transformer blew up because it was overloaded and though we have made calls and requests to Kenya Power to reconnect the electricity supply, they have refused unless we pay them about Sh1.4 million,” said Kodieny.

He claimed that the facility has been without electricity for about two months and that about 50 staff quarters within the prison’s facility had been affected.

Kodieny explained that his office has made a request for the installation of another transformer to the Commissioner of Prison’s office and they are expecting money to be released soon.

“For now we are unable to do anything since we are waiting for money from our headquarters since the commissioner has agreed to channel the money to Kenya Power so that we can get another transformer,” he said.