The Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) has come out to defend itself from comments attributed to it by Kitui East MP Nimrod Mbai who was captured on Monday assaulting a staffer.
In a statement on Wednesday 5th July, the company’s managing director Joseph Siror distanced himself from the utterances made saying at no point has he had a discussion with him about power connection as alleged in the clip.
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“I have never had any communication with the MP as alleged. You can be assured we will not support any violence at all that is why we are here to declare in black and white our position,” Siror said.
In the widely circulated video which is the subject of a public debate, the legislator who has since been arrested is heard alleging that Siror and a cabinet secretary ordered that power be connected at his Kitengela home.
“Kwani waziri mwenyewe ni mjinga aniambie atume mtu aniwekee stima halafu ukuje ung’oe? Siror mwenyewe atume iwekwe halafu uing’oe?” he posed.
(Is the cabinet secretary a fool to order for power to be connected here for you to come and disconnect? Even for Siror to send someone then you cut it?)
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While condemning the incident, the official said they are going to intensify network surveillance to stamp out illegal connections.
He said they will be working closely with the security officers so that necessary action is taken against those involved and to guarantee the safety of its employees.
“We want to urge the members of the public to help us report any cases of vandalism, illegal connections, theft of power and any suspicious activity on power networks,” said the MD.
He noted that last year alone they lost 214 units of transformers valued at an average of Sh800, 000 per unit.
e said, was a result of overloading from illegal connections and vandalism.
The company’s board chair Joe Brenda Masinde on her part maintained that all illegal connections will be disconnected before being regularized.
“We first have to ensure the connection is safe. Our engineers have the expertise to determine whether a connection is simply giving you power or endangering you and your people,” she said.
She added:
“Even in the process of regularizing it we must ensure it is safe…it is not a matter of just slapping a meter and regularizing it and that is what will happen in this particular situation.”
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The legislator is seen telling the KPLC manager that the President has directed that all connections be regularized and it was foolhardy for them to disconnect it.
“The President said when you (KPLC employee) find someone who has an illegal connection, supply them with a meter instead of disconnecting power. You are floating the instructions of the president and cabinet secretary,” the MP is scolding the employee.