Vandalism to cost KPLC Sh2 billion

By Macharia Kamau

Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) stands to lose Sh2 billion worth of transformers this year, due to increased vandalism.

KPLC distribution manager John Ombui said the power retailer spent Sh1.2 billion in the last financial year to replace transformers damaged while vandals illegally siphoned oil, a vice he said was on the rise.

Engineer Ombui spoke on Tuesday, after police officers and KPLC security personnel jointly raided make shift factories at Kariobangi Light Industries in Nairobi.

At the factories, the transformer oil was being packaged and sealed then marketed as motor vehicle engine oil.

"Oil illegally siphoned from KPLC transformers by vandals is being packaged and sold as genuine products from major oil marketing firms," said Ombui.

Ten suspects among them three women were arrested and arraigned in court yesterday. The police also seized hundreds of litres of transformer oil waiting to be packaged into containers bearing labels of major oil marketers.

Ombui said using the oil on motor vehicle engines might cause damage, as it does not have lubricating properties, which is the core purpose of engine oil. The oil is used for cooling the transformers.

Written off

Vandals wreak havoc to the firm’s electricity delivery system, costing the company millions of shillings annually. KPLC’s losses have gone up from Sh400 million three years ago to Sh1.2 billion last year.

Most of the transformers are written off after instances of vandalism and it takes the utility firm upto Sh600,000 to replace one transformer.

Besides transformer oil,the vandals are usually after copper wires and plates.