KPLC Announces Power Outages in 2 Counties on Monday

Kenya Power has announced planned electricity outages affecting parts of Nairobi and Nyeri counties on Monday, July 20.

In a statement on Sunday, July 19, the company said the planned interruptions will run from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the affected areas.

In Nairobi County, the outage will affect Catherine Dereva Road and Pipeline. 

Areas and institutions expected to experience the power interruption include Scion Hospital, V Club, Joharis, Mukuru Health Centre, parts of Villafranca Estate, Kings Millenium, and St. Bhakita.

Other affected areas are Takbir Distributors, Mukuru Educational Centre, Penda Medical Centre Embakasi, Bamba 70, Unique Estate, and Seyani Brothers.

Kenya Builders, Honey Suckle, King of Judah Ministries, Swaminarayan School and nearby customers will also be affected.

Meanwhile, in Nyeri County, the outage will affect Kahigaini, Ithenguri and Kigwandi.

The areas scheduled for the interruption include Kahigaini, Kiunyu PCEA, Kwa Chief, Ithenguri, Chorio, Kigwandi Market, Kigwandi Coffee Factory, Karurumo Market and surrounding customers.

This comes a week after a suspect linked to illegal electricity connections and the assault of a Kenya Power employee was charged in court following his arrest by the company's Nairobi Region Security team.

In a statement, the company said Lukas Nyangau Minyonga was arraigned in court on Thursday, July 9, where he took plea on three charges before being released on a Ksh1.5 million bond. 

He was jointly charged alongside three other suspects who had earlier appeared before the Makadara Law Courts on July 1.

According to Kenya Power, the four accused persons are facing charges related to the theft of a transformer, illegal electricity connections, and handling stolen electricity distribution equipment belonging to Kenya Power. 

According to Kenya Power, Nyangau was arrested during a surveillance and ambush operation conducted by the company's security team along Mombasa Road on Tuesday, July 7.

Investigators believe he played a key role in coordinating illegal electricity connections and power distribution within Mukuru Kwa Reuben. 

He has also been linked to multiple transformer theft incidents across Nairobi and the installation of stolen transformers in the nearby Mukuru Kwa Njenga informal settlement.

The company further revealed that three of its employees were recently dismissed after investigations found they had assisted Nyangau in carrying out illegal power connection activities.

Kenya Power also linked the suspect to the recent assault of one of its employees who was on duty during a security operation in the Mukuru slums.

"Illegal electricity connections, vandalism and other criminal activities within the grid are a great impediment to our commitment to provide reliable and safe electricity to light up our homes and drive livelihoods. They pose a danger of loss of life through electrocution not just to the perpetrators but unsuspecting public.

"I want to commend the Kenya Power security team for working round the clock to ensure that these vices are dealt with in the full force of the law," Kenya Power CEO Joseph Siror said.