One of the most complex electricity theft networks in recent Kenyan history was operated for almost four years by a man known in his circles as “Senator.”
Millions of shillings were diverted from the national grid by his covert enterprise, which spanned portions of Igembe North and South and provided unmetered energy to borehole pumps and miraa farms. However, the web has finally come loose.
The elusive kingpin and his accomplice were apprehended by investigators from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) on Sunday, August 17. This marked the end of a subterranean plot that had drained the utility giant dry.
According to the DCI, Senator had tapped into the KPLC grid and created an unauthorized supply network that secretly powered at least 21 borehole pumps across villages including Mpinda, Kabuitu, Kanyakine, Muthucine, and Mangala.
The electricity theft not only robbed KPLC of KSh90.7 million in lost revenues but also caused massive infrastructural damage. Fourteen transformers were destroyed in the process, forcing the company to spend an additional KSh21 million on replacements. The total financial hit stands at a staggering KSh110.7 million.
The suspects are now in police custody awaiting arraignment. Their arrest comes against the backdrop of heightened vigilance by KPLC, which has also raised alarm over fraudsters impersonating its Managing Director, Joseph Siror, to swindle unsuspecting customers.
Illegal connections have long plagued Kenya’s power sector, straining resources, destabilizing supply, and putting lives at risk. Beyond financial losses, such syndicates jeopardize public safety, as the crude setups are prone to fires and electrocution.
As the net closes in on energy cartels, the arrest of Senator sends a stern message: the era of exploiting the national grid with impunity may finally be coming to an end.
