This archive report was first published on 17 July 2021.
On Saturday, thieves struck in Bogiakumu Ward, Bonchari constituency in Kisii County, stealing a Kenya Power transformer and plunging residents into darkness.
According to Elijah Nyamweya, a villager, the thieves vandalized the transformer near Bogiakumu secondary school.
Nyamweya appealed to locals to report to the police anyone found selling the stolen parts and urged members of community policing to be vigilant and share information that may lead to the arrest of the suspects.
He also called on Kenya Power to replace the transformer to ease the suffering of the local people.
When contacted, area Ward Representative Ismael Bosire condemned the theft and urged residents to be wary of people selling the transformers' spare parts and those making illegal electrical connections in the area.
Bosire stated that the theft had affected the lives and livelihoods of people in the area, as residents rely on power to do business and lighting at their homes.
He urged security officers to patrol the area to apprehend the thieves.
It's worth noting that in April, Kenya Power's Safety, Health and Environment Manager, John Guda, highlighted the dangers of illegal electrical connections, stating that 345 people died in the last four years across the country due to such connections.
