A police officer, Mbithi Nzioki, attached to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Makadara, was arrested today in Nairobi. He is suspected of vandalising high-voltage underground power cables near Nyayo Stadium.
The DCI officer was arrested alongside Thomas Mutua and Joseph Kyalo.
According to the utility company, Kenya Power, the trio were among a gang of 10 men armed with crude weapons who were caught vandalising the 66 kV cables on Saturday night. The other members managed to escape arrest.
“During the arrests, Kenya Power’s security team recovered five metres of already vandalised 66 kV underground cable and confiscated four hoes, two spades and two hacksaws,” read part of the statement from Kenya Power.
The utility company claims the vandalism by the officer and his gang affected supply to critical installations like Kenyatta National Hospital, Mbagathi Hospital and KEMRI.
“Vandalism of power infrastructure has continued to pose a serious risk to public safety while disrupting electricity supply to homes and businesses. It is unfortunate that, as we work to supply reliable and safe electricity to our customers, a few people are involved in vandalism and other illegal activities that compromise the safety of the network,” said Dr (Eng) Siror.
The vandalised cables serve as the main power supply for the Ragati and Nairobi West substations, which deliver electricity to Upper Hill, the Community area, South C, Nairobi West, Madaraka, parts of South B, the Industrial Area, parts of Langata Road, and Ngumo Estate.
Vandalism of these cables has also compromised power supply redundancy, impacting alternative supply points for Nairobi City Centre and its environs.
Dr Siror, the Kenya Power Managing Director, has urged members of the public to report any suspicious activity near electrical installations to the nearest police station, at any Kenya Power office, or through the company’s USSD code *977#.
