Kenya Power is in the eye of a storm over shortage of electricity meters in the country with local manufacturers accusing the utility firm of causing the artificial shortage.
The development comes after four local manufacturers said they could meet the demand for the meters in the country. However, Kenya Power has avoided signing contracts with them to supply the meters to meet the growing demand.
The four firms are Smart Meters Technology Limited, Shenzhen Star Instrument Company Ltd, Magnate Ventures Ltd, and Inhemeter Africa Company Limited.
The revelations emerged during an inquiry into concerns raised by Kenyans over the lack of electricity meters by the Senate Energy Committee.
Kenya Power has been battling a severe shortage of meters, which has frustrated those seeking new meters and replacements for faulty or stolen ones.
This has seen more than 236,900 Kenya Power customers waiting for connection to the grid over the shortage.
The company has been battling local suppliers in court who have protested at the tough terms the State-owned utility firm introduced in its latest bid to procure meters worth Sh2 billion.
Smart Ventures Limited Chief Executive Officer Mr Stanley Kinyanjui told the committee chaired by Nyeri Senator Wahome Wamatinga that despite his company having the capacity to produce 4,000 smart meters per day, the last time they supplied to Kenya Power was in 2021.
Mr Kinyanjui argued that he spent Sh350 million to set up the electricity meter manufacturing plant based in the Industrial area in Nairobi.
“We call on the government to support local companies which have the capacity to make enough smart electricity metres for use in the country. That is why we are asking the Senate Energy Committee to engage with Kenya Power to come up with a contractual framework,” said Mr Kinyanjui.
The four firms had decried stringent tendering rules by Kenya Power where a successful bidder is required to have a minimum of 15 years of technical specifications experience in the manufacture of energy meters.
However, Kenya Power argued that the stringent requirements were aimed at ensuring that the company procures meters of high quality.
The committee now wants Kenya Power to come up with a long-term contractual framework with electricity meter producers, to guarantee them business for their products with the country currently having a shortage of 450,000 meters.
