KPLC to invest more on vandalism prevention

By Wairimu Kamande and Peter Atsiaya

Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) will install electronic devices to curb vandalism of power transmission lines.

Managing Director Joseph Njoroge says the firm will invest in alarms that monitor vandals and are capable of taking pictures of the scene. Vandalism has cost KPLC Sh2.4 billion in the last four years, he claimed.

Speaking in Thika, Njoroge said though the installation of the gadgets was expensive, it was necessary.

The MD said the company was incurring heavy losses annually following damages of its infrastructural system.

"The loss to the economy is even bigger considering the disruption of business before the power is reconnected," he said.

Njoroge said it was sad that instead of using the money to connect more customers, the company would have to spend buying and installing the gadgets.

Uninterrupted supply

The MD also announced that the company had come up with a product that would enable customers enjoy uninterrupted power supply through pre-paid metering. He said clients would be in a position to pay to a bank account, a monthly sum based on their average power bill.

He added that the company also plans to open new power lines in parts of Central, Eastern and Rift Valley regions.

Meanwhile, Energy, PS Patrick Nyoike said power tariffs were set to go down once the Government completes electricity generating geothermal stations. The two were speaking when they awarded prizes to winners of a golf tournament sponsored by KPLC.

Meanwhile, Industrialisation Ministry PS John Lonyangapuo says the Government has set up an anti-counterfeit agency to deal with the menace. Prof Lonyangapuo said the agency-started operation after Industrialisation Minister Henry Kosgey gazetted its commencement on July 14..

"The body has a duty of dealing with counterfeits that saw the country lose more than 40 billion annually," said the PS.

Mr Lonyangapuo was speaking during a workshop for entrepreneurs from Nyanza Province at a Kisumu Hotel, under the Jitihada programme, yesterday.

He pointed out that board members of the Agency would be gazetted to strengthen it. He added that Kenya was the second country in Africa to set up such a body after South Africa.

The PS noted that more than 1,000 inspectors had been recruited to beef up the inspectorate department.

 

 

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