Demonstrations after Kenyan power outage in Kirinyaga village

At least 500 families in Karuti village, Kirinyaga County, are being deprived of electricity after the Kenya Power Company cuts their homes.

After the Sunday morning action, families took to the streets in protest, accusing the electricity supplier of punishing them for no reason.

Under the leadership of Gichugu MP Gichimu Githinji, families threatened to sue the power company.

Kenya Power officials, accompanied by armed police, descended into the village early in the morning, accusing residents of illegally connecting electricity to their homes.

STICKS UPGRADE

They ripped up electrical wires, energy meters and uprooted poles, leaving residents in complete darkness.

Even churches and business premises as well as tea shopping centers have not been spared.

The families said the power was installed in the village as part of the national government's rural electrification program and denied any involvement in illegal logging.

"We are using electricity that has been legally connected to our homes over the last four years and we do not understand what business people are talking about," said James Gicobi.

PAYMENT OF INVOICES

The families said they were paying their electricity bills quickly and asked to be informed why the electricity company was accepting payments if they were illegally connected to the national grid.

"If we had committed a crime, the officials would have arrested us and sued us, but not to disconnect power, even in places of worship," Justus Njoka protested.



The MP for Gichugu lamented that officials took the victims by surprise and began cutting down power lines and poles.

WITHOUT NOTICE

"Those who used power have not even been warned and the case is very serious," Githinji said.

He pledged to address the issue with Senior Secretary of Energy Joseph Njoroge and the Director General of Kenya Power.

The member told how he went to the village to find the families who were complaining about the mistreatment of the company.

"What the company officials did in this village is unacceptable," Githinji said.

Kirinyaga Kenya Power's regional director, Kiptoo Ruto, admitted that his security officials had disconnected electricity.

CONNIVANCE

He insisted that some of the company's employees colluded with unscrupulous contractors and provided illegal power lines to families.

"We learned later that our officials and subcontractors secretly installed electricity in the village without KPLC's knowledge and we treat the matter with the seriousness it deserves. involved and legal proceedings will be initiated, "he said.



He admitted that the families concerned were paying their bills, but he was quick to add that the payment did not guarantee that the contract was genuine.

The families recalled how they were forced to pay thousands of shillings during the installation of the electricity and asked to be compensated.

"The KPLC has awarded offers to private contractors to install electricity in our village and we have paid for the services.After paying so much money, the KPLC is now turning against us.We have to go to court to get repair, "said Beatrice Wathuyia.