Kitui MP Nimrod Mbai set to face charges after assaulting Kenya Power employee

 Kitui East Member of Parliament Nimrod Mbai was on Wednesday arrested and later released on police bail of Ksh.50,000 pending arraignment on the 11th of July over the assault of a Kenya Power official.

The office of the DPP in Kajiado, on Wednesday, rejected charges levelled against Mbai saying they did not meet the threshold of a case to be taken to court. 

Mbai will be presented in court afresh on the 11th of July to face charges of assault, electricity theft and illegal connection of electricity.

The electricity distribution company condemned the incident saying intimidation towards its workers is unacceptable and should not be condoned.

Kenya Power union leaders in Kitengela staged protests early Wednesday over the alleged assault against one of their colleagues.

“While working to weed the network of these illegal and dangerous connections, we regrettably note an emerging trend of violent attacks against our staff,” MD Kenya Power Eng. Joseph Siror said

This incident recorded on May 19 in Utange, Mombasa County, is another illustration of the extent of danger faced by Kenya Power staffers while disconnecting illegal power connections and carrying out other field duties. Similar incidents were recorded in Olkalau in Nyandarua County.

“We have had a number of cases one in Utange when a member of staff was attacked by an individual who was wielding a panga,” Siror stated.

The power company further asserted that the organisation will not slacken its push to weed out individuals erecting illegal and dangerous power connections that continue to paralyse the quality of power supply ultimately leading to huge losses for the company.

“Last year, we lost 214 units of transformers valued at an average of Ksh.800,000 per unit due to overloading from illegal connections and vandalism,” Siror noted.

Kenya power board chairperson Ms Joy Masinde added: “Stealing power from Kenya power is not just hurting Kenya power but hurting all of them...regularising what is illegal.”

In Kitengela, chants and cries for justice brought business to a standstill at the busy nerve centre of Kajiado County as the Kenya Electrical Trades and Allied Workers Union (KETAWU) took to the streets over the alleged assault by Kitui East MP against one of their colleagues.

“Huu ni ukiritimba ambao hatuwezi kukubali...tunasema kwamba hatutakubaliana na viongozi kama mbai...we demand that justice should not be selective,” said KETAWU Sec Gen Jared Owade.

“Ilikuwa ni aibu kubwa sana kwa mwenzetu na mkubwa wetu kupigwa kama mburukenge na mbunge…tumehuzunika sana mheshimiwa alikuwa na bunduki ambapo kama hakungekuwa na watu sa hii tungekuwa tunahuzunika,” another KETAWU official Agnes Nudge, added.

The lawmaker was arrested on Tuesday evening and taken to Kitengela Police Station where he spent the night. He was released on Wednesday afternoon on Ksh. 50,000 police bail.