Kenya power partners with DCI to crack down vandalism and equipment theft

In response to a surge in vandalism and theft of electricity equipment, the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) has joined forces with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to tackle the menace. 

46% increase in transformer vandalism has been recorded during the last financial year, affecting 242 transformers. This was an increase from the 165 units vandalized in the previous year.

"We are confident that the partnership with the DCI will boost our capacity to proactively fight vandalism and other crimes through an intelligence-led approach," Kenya Power’s Managing Director & CEO Joseph Siror said in a statement on Thursday. 

DCI and Kenya Power further plan to create public awareness to educate the public on the dangers of vandalism.

“Beyond the financial toll on the company, the collateral damage of vandalism extends to public safety. The looming threat of electrocution has become an ever-present danger, and compromises on quality of power supply,” he said. 

Paul Wachira, Deputy Director for Investigations at the DCI lauded the collaboration saying that they intend to use an intelligence-based operation to nab criminals who engage in the vandalism activities.

“Through partnerships such as the one we now have with Kenya Power, we will work collaboratively for purposes of following the money trail, especially among those handling stolen copper and oil from vandalized transformers, so that the masterminds of these activities are arrested and prosecuted,” said Wachira.

According to Kenya Power, of the 1,026 people arrested and prosecuted for various illegal activities within the electricity network since July 2022,472 cases relate to vandalism, theft of energy equipment and damage to energy infrastructure.

Illegal connections and fraudulent consumption of electricity account for 320 while 33 people were arrested for wayleave encroachment.