Police impound stolen Sh20m Kenya Power equipment in Ruiru

Police are investigating the circumstances in which Kenya Power installation equipment and accessories worth over Sh20 million were stolen from a contractor's site in Longonot and hidden in a residence at Membley estate in Ruiru, Kiambu County.

The equipment seized from the private residence include rolls of copper and aluminium wire cables, poles, meter boxes and transformer assembling parts.

Some of the cables had already been dismantled and oiled to conceal their source, an indication they were likely to be sold off to large scale scrap metal dealers.

Unused

The equipment were still unused and had been stored at the home for some time.

Kiambu County Police Commander Adiel Nyange said some of the equipment had been stolen from an installation site belonging to a Chinese company.

The Chinese firm had been contracted by Kenya Power to supply and install electricity in various parts of the country.

The rest were stolen directly from Kenya Power and investigations are ongoing to establish where exactly they were stolen from.

The police also arrested Mr Joseph Kihara, the owner of the home and are investigating if there was collusion between him and Kenya Power staff.

The police commander said Kihara had approached the person contracted by the Chinese company to transport materials to the installation site, seeking to provide additional transport, but instead brought the materials to his house.

"The materials were to be dropped at Marti on August 8 but they were instead diverted to other areas and their phone switched off.

"The police were informed and investigations kicked off leading to this find. The truck that was ferrying the material was also positively identified somewhere in Industrial Area," said Nyange.

Breakthrough

Mr Nyange termed the find a major breakthrough in arresting the cartels that steal power materials.

Kenya Power has been losing over Sh200 million annually through theft of equipment and vandalism in some of its stations particularly Athi River substation, according to the company's Nairobi South's chief security officer Mr Samuel Njue,

"Transformers are the most stolen equipment along the electricity transmission lines. Last year alone, we lost about 38 of them. That compounded with the price of one transformer which on average costs about Sh500,000 gives an estimate of the losses the company incurs through theft annually. The equipment nabbed today are worth over Sh20 million," said Mr Njue.

He said Kenya Power was yet to confirm the substation which they were stolen from.

Kenya Power provides its contractors with the equipment to use in electricity supply and installation works.

The materials are only supposed to be stored at the sites.

"The materials are supposed to go to the site where works are ongoing for immediate use and not to be stored in homes. This is wrong," said Mr Njue.