The Government has withdrawn a retail electricity tariff review application submitted by the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC), ensuring that current electricity prices remain unchanged for households, businesses, and industries. As a result, the current electricity prices for households, businesses, and industries won’t be changed.
Speaking at KAWU Complex on Wednesday, Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary Hon. Opiyo Wandayi said decision was arrived at after the Government had consulted internally and had held discussions with main stakeholders in the energy sector.
Based on the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, the purpose of this decision is to maintain a viable energy sector For one thing and on the other, to shield the consumers from rising electric power costs. It was further stated that keeping the present tariff system will go a long way to preserving people’s welfare, encouraging the country’s growth, and creating more jobs.
The Ministry expressed that the Energy Act, 2019 clearly lays down the legal and regulatory system that must be followed when proposing changes to electricity tariffs. This procedure entails the lodging of a tariff application with the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA), the technical review, consultations with stakeholders as well as public participation, all of which must be conducted before the proposed tariff changes can be ratified.
Besides that, it was stressed that the determination of electricity tariffs must be in line with this criteria: openness fairness ensuring recovery of costs, protecting consumers, and the long, term viability and stability of electricity supply.
Tariffs in the prevailing retail electricity system will continue for some time after the withdrawal of this submission unless a later review is conducted showing compliance with the law and regulating procedures set up.
The Ministry gave an undertaking to consumers and businesses that pulling back the tariff review application isn’t going to have any bearing on the electricity supply or the provision of the service, and that customers will still be getting uninterrupted electricity under the current price scheme.
The Ministry upped its appreciation to the consumers, industry stakeholders as well as members of the general public who have offered their views and taken part in the review process.
