There was a standoff outside the Nairobi offices of Kenya Power, which trades as KPLC on the Nairobi Stock Exchange, on Monday morning after what the company’s management described as a retaliatory attack by the Nairobi County Government.
The standoff was triggered after the county government allegedly blocked a sewer line, resulting in waste spilling into KPLC's premises. This action was reportedly in response to the utility company's decision to disconnect power supply over an unpaid debt owed by the County Government of Nairobi.
Images and videos obtained by Kenyans.co.ke showed garbage trucks, allegedly from the Nairobi County Government, blocking entryways leading to Stima Plaza in Nairobi.
Alongside the garbage trucks, massive heaps of waste were piled up at the entrance of the building that serves as Kenya Power headquarters.
In a press statement issued at Stima Plaza, KPLC’s management confirmed that several company-owned vehicles had also been clamped by county government officers over claims of unpaid parking fees.
According to KPLC, the standoff stemmed from the company’s decision to disconnect power at several Nairobi County offices due to an outstanding electricity bill amounting to Ksh3.1 billion.
The power distributor maintained that despite supplying electricity to the county, payments had been significantly delayed, forcing them to take action by cutting off the power supply.
In return, Nairobi County further cut water supply at major offices around Nairobi and blocked sewers for Kenya Power.
KPLC General Manager for Commercial Services and Sales, Rosemary Oduor, told the media that the dispute dates back two years when the company issued bills to the county but the payments were never made.
''This morning, we had our work going on then all of a sudden, we realised that there were County Government trucks with garbage. One of them came and dropped the garbage right in front of our offices at Stima Plaza. Several of them are still on standby around the building,'' Oduor stated.
''We have had a long-standing issue with Nairobi County regarding payment of their bills. They have continued overtime to raise issues with their bills and we have had discussions over the last two years on how this could be solved and they committed that they would start paying,'' she added.
Staff reporting for work on Monday morning were left dismayed because they were forced to watch the drama unfold outside Stima Plaza offices.
