This archive report was first published on 23 January 2022.
Power Outage Sparks Investigation ¶
January 23, 2022 - The KPLC board is under fire after a nationwide power outage left many without electricity.
According to reports, the outage was caused by a combination of factors, including sabotage by KPLC employees and external parties, as well as technical issues and vandalism.
Police have described the incident as a threat to national security and stability.
On January 19, the DCI announced that 10 KPLC employees had been arrested in connection with the outage, and were charged with sabotage and terrorism.
"The sabotage was premeditated and caused widespread disruption, damage to businesses, and disruption of essential services," the DCI said.
Under the Anti-Terrorism Act, sabotage is defined as an act that "disrupts the electricity supply and contributes to the disruption of communication and other essential services."
Investigations have revealed that some KPLC employees and board members were unhappy with the government's decision to introduce changes in the Energy Ministry, particularly with regards to KPLC.
Additionally, there are suspicions that some private power generation companies (IPPs) may have colluded with KPLC employees to sabotage the power grid.
On January 14, Energy Minister Monica Juma announced that all contracts with IPPs would be reviewed to reduce electricity costs.
"There is a clause in the contract that allows for changes after a certain period," Minister Juma said.
The changes in the energy sector, which began in October last year when Minister Juma took over the Energy Ministry, have not been well-received by some KPLC officials.
On January 14, Minister Juma announced that the contracts of several KPLC officials, including Imelda Bore, Charles Cheruiyot, Peter Wambua, Aggrey Machasio, Cecilia Kalungu, Peter Njenga, Robert Mugo, Thomas Ogutu, Stephen Vikiru, John Ngeno, Charles Mwaura, and Jeremiah Kiplagat, would be terminated.
