Friday, May 24, 2024 - Kenya Power Chief Executive Officer Joseph Siror has blamed former President Uhuru Kenyatta for the loss of millions at KPLC.
Addressing scrap metal dealers at an event organized by the
Consumers Federation of Kenya (Cofek), Siror revealed that the utility company
lost Ksh68 million to vandals immediately after the scrap metal ban was lifted
by Uhuru Kenyatta.
Siror noted that the company recorded zero cases of
vandalism during the period the ban was in place.
A total of 76 transformers were vandalised between May and
December 2022 immediately after the moratorium was lifted.
He further estimated that the cost could be higher if the
cost of vandalized copper windings, braces, and meters among others is
incorporated.
Siror further noted that in 2023, 365 transformers valued at
Ksh328 million were vandalized while so far this year, 78 transformers have
been destroyed setting the company back Ksh78 million.
"If you compute the cost of unserved energy, loss of
business, and possibly lives, the losses are in billions of Kenya shillings.
This is a huge loss to the economy and is unsustainable," he added.
Uhuru banned the scrap metal trade in January 2022 and
ordered police to arrest and press treason charges against individuals found
vandalizing national infrastructure projects.
The ban was in place as the government developed proper
guidelines and was lifted on May 1 of the same year.
At the time, the government mandated all traders to be
vetted at the county level before being allowed to engage in the business.
The Kenyan DAILY POST
-overlay.jpg)
0 Comments