Two suspects are being held in police custody after their arrest for the theft of power infrastructure worth KSh3 million in Manyatta Kona Maji area in Kisumu County.
The Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) has confirmed the arrests in a statement issued on Tuesday, indicating the suspects are alleged to have bought stolen gear from vandals and sold it to individuals who engage in illegal electricity connections in the county.
Stolen items also cover crucial parts like aluminum conductors, crossarm channels, shackle insulators, steady bars, cables, bolts, stay wires, and KPLC-labeled danger plates equipment critical in providing secure and stable power supply.
Reacting to the arrest, KPLC Security Services Manager Geoffrey Kigen praised the teamwork between the utility company’s security department and the police. “This operation is a show of our commitment to flushing out all the people who engage in criminal elements in the electricity network,” Kigen said.
He also added that the increasing trend of vandalism has been amongst the key reasons for repeated power outages in the locality and poses a significant danger to public safety. “We will continue to work with security agencies to identify and prosecute more individuals vandalizing electricity infrastructure,” he confirmed.
The sweep comes on the heels of rising fear for energy infrastructure vandalism, a crime not only responsible for power outages but also danger to life in the form of dangerous, unplanned power connections.
According to the Energy Act 2018, anyone found guilty of tampering with electricity networks is subject to heavy fines, up to KSh5 million or a period of up to five years in prison or both.
KPLC is also calling on the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious cases. “We want to encourage members of the public to support these efforts by reporting illegal connections and vandals to the police stations or offices nearest to them,” Kigen encouraged.
This comes less than four months after a Kitale man was given six years’ jail time or an option of paying KSh10.2 million after being convicted of destroying electrical infrastructure and dealing in stolen goods unlawfully.
The man, who had a record of similar offenses, admitted to the charges in a case that highlighted the level of seriousness with which courts are approaching such crimes.
As the investigations continue, the two Kisumu suspects remain in custody for charges to be preferred against them.
KPLC reaffirmed its stand: acts of vandalism are not acceptable and those who commit them will face the full force of the law.
