Detectives have intensified a crackdown on a syndicate responsible for vandalism of electricity infrastructure across the country. The infrastructure like transformers, cables, and electrical apparatus, have for a long time been targets to vandalism, leading to huge loses to the government and electricity consumers.
In an operation that was conducted on 23 August, in a palatial home in Mutonguni, Machakos County, 5 sacks of vandalised aluminum wires were recovered. The raid was conducted by officers from the Crime Research & Intelligence Bureau, and investigators based at the Kenya Power & Lighting Company.
Consequently, the owner of the house, Josphat Mutuku alias mrefu, a notorious suspect believed to be the leader of an elaborate syndicate of vandals. Mutuku who targets installations along the country’s electricity lines, was arrested in the raid.
According to a report from KPLC, the power distributor had recorded over 220 incidents of vandalism in the country from January to June this year. Nairobi, Kiambu, Machakos, and Nakuru Counties, accounting for over half of the reported incidents. This resulted to frequent power blackouts that became the order of the day in the worst hit areas, leading to losses in millions of shillings.
Last year, detectives working with KPLC-based investigators, unearthed an elaborate network of third party agents. Who were working with crooked former employees of the power distributor, to intentionally occasion blackouts in order to generate income through reconnection of power.
This was achieved through vandalism of crucial parts of transformers, before the agents masquerading as KPLC officials approached the affected area residents and reconnected power to their homesteads at a fee.
In the well-orchestrated transgression, the thugs would sabotage efforts by KPLC to restore power supply by removing fuses from transformers. This is effected immediately the KPLC emergency teams had left the sites. This is intended to frustrate consumers further, so that they would yield to their demands.
As a result, the government issued a moratorium on scrap metal dealings, after investigations revealed that scrap metal trade was responsible for runaway vandalism of critical national infrastructure. Which is done by targeting materials used for electricity connection, road and railway construction, a vice bordering on economic sabotage.
A dedicated team of officers from the Directorate is working closely with investigators based at the electricity distribution company, to stem this vice once and for all.
