Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has urged President William Ruto to direct the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) to engage unlawful power connectors in the city’s informal settlements.
Sakaja wants the government to explore ways of lowering electricity tariffs for residents in slums to encourage legal connections and curb the frequent inferno outbreaks caused by unsafe wiring.
The governor, who spoke during a church service at AIC Kibera in Nairobi, revealed that most of the inferno outbreaks reported in the city stem from unlawful energy-related incidents, including unlawful electricity connections and unsafe handling of cooking gas.
''We have had inferno incidents in the city, Your Excellency, with the common factor being that they are energy-related. The common factor is unlawful connections using substandard equipment, and that is why we are asking that if we can't beat them, we join them," Sakaja urged.
"Let us reduce tariffs for them and give them the appropriate equipment so that they can be distributors. Otherwise, we will have infernos every day," he added.
Sakaja revealed that he has been in talks with various cabinet secretaries on how to address the recurring inferno incidents in Nairobi, but with little success. He said he had pitched the idea to Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi and urged the government to seriously consider adopting the proposal.
President Ruto, however, while responding to the incident, maintained that the government will weed out the unlawful connections without responding to the governor's pleas.
However, Ruto assured residents of the affected slums that the government would support the county government of Nairobi in its quest to construct inferno stations across the county.
''We want to ensure that there is an inferno station. We will support the governor and allocate you land to construct the station to help in contacting the incidents," Ruto stated.
Eight people perished on the spot, while 20 others suffered severe injuries after an inferno incident occurred on Saturday morning in Makina, Kibera.
While confirming the incident, area MP Peter Orero revealed that it occurred behind Kambi along the route to Eagles, affecting over 40 households and plunging the community into deep mourning and loss of property.
Following the recurrent blaze incidents across the country, calls for improved emergency response, stricter safety regulations, and enhanced public awareness have intensified.
