The Ministry of Energy has reported a loss of Kes. 670 million over the last two financial years due to nationwide transformer thefts.
During a session with the National Assembly Committee on Energy, Principal Secretary for Energy Alex Wachira explained that the ministry lost Kes. 234 million in the Financial Year 2022-2023 and Kes. 336 million in 2021-2022 because of vandalism.
Reports indicate that vandals primarily steal transformers, steel tower bracings, earth cables, and other essential components from various substations.
In the FY 2023-2024, documents show that the Kenya Power and Lighting Company reported 66 vandalized transformers in Kiambu County alone. This financial year, thieves have stolen nine transformers, with Limuru, Lari, Kiambu East, Kiambaa, Juja, Thika East, Ndeiya, and Kabete being the most affected sub-counties.
Wachira expressed deep regret over the significant disruptions to operations and the severe impact on businesses and essential services caused by these thefts.
As of January, authorities had arrested 108 individuals connected to vandalism, with court cases progressing through various stages.
The PS emphasized that the ministry’s infrastructure remains a prime target for vandals, leading to substantial financial losses as efforts to combat this issue intensify. He noted that there were no cases of vandalism in January 2022, following the government’s nationwide moratorium on the scrap business.
“There was no reported vandalism of power infrastructure for the entire period of five months. This is a clear indicator of the correlation between vandalism of energy infrastructure and the scrap business,” he stated.
Wachira informed the committee that the Critical Infrastructure Protection Unit, along with the Energy Police Unit and other police formations, has helped the ministry reduce vandalism. He also mentioned that the ministry is exploring support from security agencies and implementing innovations such as detection systems, mobile phone tracking services, fingerprint dusting, and forensics to deter vandals.
Committee members stressed the need for the ministry to invest in trackers for transformers, arguing that taxpayers should not endure continuous losses, nor should businesses face disruptions caused by saboteurs.
