This archive report was first published on 28 October 2019.
On October 25, 2019, a significant number of business stalls at Kaptembwo area in Nakuru West Sub-county were demolished. This was after the owners of the homes and businesses pulled down their structures in compliance with notices issued by Kenya Power and Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) the previous month.
According to Kenya Power's Central Rift Wayleave Officer, Daisy Chumba, 50 more buildings would be pulled down due to their construction on a 132,000 volts power wayleave. The wayleave spans a 6.5-kilometre stretch from Keptembwo to Lanet Power Station.
Locals had been issued with an eviction notice on October 4, which expired on October 11. Despite this, Kenya Power and KPC have been marking beacons along the affected stretch, covering about 4km.
Ms Chumba stated that the high-voltage cables pose health risks to residents due to their strong magnetic fields. She also clarified that those affected by the demolition would not be compensated.
According to the Energy Regulation Act, 2019, Kenya Power is empowered to charge people encroaching on its wayleaves. KPC's regional officer in charge of security, William Kendagor, emphasized the dangers of fuel transported by the pipeline, citing this as the reason for not allowing locals to trade along the wayleave.
