By Michael Oriedo
They are very ‘professional’ in their illegal undertakings. One minute the lights are on, the next they are gone.
Sitting in your house or at your business premise, you believe that it is a normal blackout that will last less than 30 minutes.
However, the waiting stretches to several days. Upon inquiring, nay protesting to Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC), you learn that crooks have vandalised the nearby transformer or power cables.
Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) staff at Mumias Police Station inspecting cables worth Sh12 million and other tools used to vandalise and smelt them. The cables were recently intercepted by police at Lwasambi village, Shitoto in Mumias District. Photo: Benjamin Sakwa/Standard |
From Garissa to Ahero, Mwingi to Mathare slums, Karatina to Eldoret, the story is the same. Vandals are throwing the country into darkness as they target transformers for oil, copper windings and steel bracings.
A fortnight ago, Isiolo town was engulfed in darkness for two weeks after vandals siphoned coolant oil from 50 transformers.
Several hospitals, schools, churches and private homes were affected as residents cried foul and accused KPLC of dragging its feet in repairing the transformers.
Stealth operation
In Kakamega, vandals stole oil and copper coils from several transformers along Kisumu-Kakamega-Mumias Road a month ago.
The thugs who seemed to be on a vandalism spree started along Kisumu Road. They dismounted and dismantled transformers.
"They struck at about 2am. We saw our security lights go off and thought it was a blackout. However, after a short while, a pickup truck drove away very fast. In the morning, we found the shell of the transformer on the ground,’’ said Martin Sishia, a resident.
Police arrested several suspects and have since charged them in court.
Mr Samuel Njue, KPLC’s Chief Security Officer in charge of Nairobi region says cases of transformer vandalism have escalated across the country.
Statistics from KPLC indicate that Nairobi is leading with over 40 per cent of the total cases reported, followed by Mt Kenya region at 30 per cent. Western Kenya has 23 per cent and Coast region trails with seven per cent.
Interestingly, unlike previous years where it was common to hear a crook has been electrocuted while tampering with a transformer, today, vandals have upped their game. They are swift and meticulous.
They dismount a transformer from its poles and rip it into pieces in less than 30 minutes.
Njue says the thugs have become very crafty and know exactly what they want.
"They steal transformer oil, power lines made of copper or aluminium material and steel towers," he says.
Transformers contain copper windings that are on high demand in the scrap metal industry.
"Criminals steal the coils and sell them to scrap metal dealers who use them to make their products. Vandalism has increased since the Government annulled the ban on import and export of scrap metal in 2008," notes Njue.
One of the places he isolates as providing a ready market to stolen copper coils and power lines is the Kariobangi light industries.
"We are aware that stolen transformer materials and power lines end up in these industries. It is a matter of time before we unearth them,’’ he says.
Criminal underworld
Investigations have established that in the criminal underworld, a kilogramme of copper goes for Sh350. This figure triples to about Sh1,000 when the copper is smuggled to the neighbouring countries.
Njue says vandals are, however, more interested in transformer oil than copper windings.
"The criminals can siphon oil from several transformers in one night. Sometimes they drain the oil gradually that the transformer fails after some time," he observes.
They then mix the oil, which helps keep a transformer cool, with used diesel and other motor oils. "They repackage it as new and sell it to unsuspecting motorists and other buyers," says Njue.
Despite the risk that criminals put themselves in while siphoning oil from transformers, CCI has established that transformer oil is sold at Sh100 a litre in shops.
However, Njue says unused oil is unattractive to saboteurs because they believe used transformer oil has electrons that purify other oils.
"Its contact with electrical energy makes it last long. And when mixed with used diesel, because of the electrons it contains, it cleanses it," he says.
Kenya Power and Lighting (KPLC) staff display bars of aluminium made from smelted power cables (inset) stolen from the company. The smelting was at Lwasami village, Mumias District. |
However, he warns that the mixed oil, which is sold cheaply in the black market, negatively affects machines or vehicles that use it.
Nevertheless, that use is not shocking. Our investigations have unearthed that unscrupulous fast-food traders mix the oil with cooking oil and use it to deep fry chips, chicken and mandazis among other foods.
Apparently, unlike vegetable oil, transformer oil is stable when heated.
Therefore, criminals mix it with cooking oil to prevent the latter from darkening or deteriorating fast.
Main beneficiaries
Normally when constantly exposed to heat as it happens when frying fish or chips, vegetable oil depreciates faster. But when it is mixed with transformer oil, one can reuse it for several months without it darkening.
Njue says transformer oil, which is made from petroleum, when used for cooking has adverse health effects on the body.
"Petroleum oil contains chemicals that are harmful when ingested. People should be careful where they eat," he warns.
Police spokesperson Erick Kiraithe says police have not received any reports that transformer oil is being used in cooking.
Although he does not rule out that dishonest traders may be using it for that purpose, Kiraithe says police have information that criminals sell it to motorists especially matatu operators.
He says police are aware of the rising cases of transformer vandalism and are working with KPLC to curb the vice.
"We have formed police units to work with KPLC officers in areas prone to vandalism," he says. "We have managed to nab several suspects." He terms the offence as sabotage and calls for strengthening of laws that deal with the crime.
"Vandals leave people in darkness and disrupt communication. They are malicious and destructive and cause unnecessary suffering. The electricity company and its customers lose a lot of revenue," says Kiraithe.
As a country, he says we need to review laws on sabotage and related offences so that they reflect the gravity of the crime.
"Transformer vandalism is a serious crime yet people escape with light sentences. It facilitates the rise of other crimes during blackouts. Hospitals, schools and factories are affected," he says.
Among those people KPLC and the police suspect of perpetuating the vice include former KPLC staff and employees of contractors who work with the company.
