Kenya power arrests 257 for vandalism and theft

A vandalized street light Biashara Street in Nakuru town. (Photo: Kipsang Joseph/Standard)

Some 257 people have been arrested in six months by Kenya Power security personnel for vandalism and theft.

The utility company said the arrests rose by 77 per cent to 257 in the half year to June 2016, compared to the same period last year.

West Kenya recorded the highest number of arrests during both periods that saw several vandals and constructors of illegal lines seized, giving a boost to the company’s efforts to track down commercial losses resulting from theft of power.

Cases of vandalism reduced by 17.1 per cent during the period, improving the quality of power supply by minimizing interruptions originating from tampering with transformers and conductors.

“There have been significant gains in the fight against power theft and vandalism. This is attributed to enhanced surveillance across our network. We will endeavour to maintain the cordial relationship with the members of the public and the security agencies to help maintain a downward trend in this aspect,” the firm’s Acting security Manager Geoffrey Kigen said in a statement.

The firm said it is partnering with members of the public to report occurrences on the network, adopting technical measures such as welding, relocation and hosting of transformers above high voltage lines to reduce cases of vandalism.

The company has also benefited from long-term imprisonment of some vandals, stretching to 10 years, and hefty fines to deter fresh crime.

Kenya Power was recently joined in “Operation Usalama”, a joint operation by security agencies within the Eastern Africa region that aims to track down international crimes such as theft of copper cables, terrorism, mineral smuggling and human trafficking, among others.