There was anxiety after a brief blackout at Milimani Law Courts where a magistrate was listening to bail applications by top Kenya Power managers on Tuesday morning. The power blackout interrupted the bail application hearing for 14 suspended Kenya Power officials accused of economic crimes.

On Monday Kenya Power issued a statement assuring Kenyans of uninterrupted services in spite of its top managers being police cells. Kenya Power bosses spent the fourth night (Monday) in police custody away from their homes and office comfort as they waited for a decision on their bail applications. 

The firm’s managing director and CEO Ken Tarus, his predecessor Ben Chumo and nine senior managers at the utility company, were arrested over the weekend in connection with the procurement of transformers worth over Sh409 million.  The other top officials charged were Commercial Services Manager KP Mungai, Finance Manager Joshua Mutua, ICT Manager Abubakar Swaleh, Regional Coordination Manager Samuel Ndirangu and Supply Chain Manager Stanley Mutwiri.

Also charged were a couple James Njenga Muingai and Grace Wanjira Muingai, and their son John Muingai who are directors of Muwa Trading Company Ltd, said to have received millions of shillings for supplying sub-standard transformers. Read the statement: "The Board of Directors is aware that senior management staff was summoned by the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) following orders from the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

The summons is based on two issues under investigation; supply of transformers and Labour and Transport contracts. The Board wishes to reassure members of the public, customers, shareholders, development partners and other stakeholders that operations of the business have not and will not be affected.