President William Ruto has announced an allocation of Ksh500 million to regularize illegal electricity connections in Nairobi slums.
Speaking on Sunday, May 25, Ruto called for the need to address the dangers posed by unauthorized electrical installations in slum areas.
"We will allocate Ksh500 million in the next financial year to regularize illegal electricity connections in Nairobi’s informal settlements.
"Our goal is to address poorly installed connections that have caused devastating fires: destroying homes, property, and, tragically, claiming lives. This intervention will enhance safety and protect lives and livelihoods,” he said.
Meanwhile, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja appealed to the Ministry of Energy and the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) to explore the possibility of lowering electricity costs in informal settlements.
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He emphasized that this measure could help prevent the frequent fire outbreaks linked to unauthorized power hookups.
"The common strand in all these fires is energy-related. Most are caused by illegal connections using substandard cables and equipment. I’ve had discussions with the Energy CS. These illegal connections have been going on — if you can’t beat them, join them," he said.
Sakaja suggested that the government trace those providing these unlawful electricity connections and, instead, offer them legal access to power at reduced rates, along with the necessary tools to ensure safe distribution.
“I urged the Energy CS to find the suppliers of these illegal connections, reduce their electricity tariffs, and equip them with the tools needed to distribute power safely," he added.
Sakaja also cautioned that the growing number of fires in Nairobi’s slum areas is fast turning into a humanitarian emergency.
He stressed that a sustainable remedy would be to make electricity more readily available and economically viable for residents in informal settlements.
This way, he argued, would reduce slum residents' dependence on perilous, unauthorized connections.
“If we don’t lower electricity tariffs in informal settlements, we will continue having fires every day. In January alone, we recorded 70 fire incidents. We need to adopt globally recognised models of social electricity connections. Let’s come up with a more sustainable approach," he stated.
