The mastermind of an illegal electricity connectivity network, alias Senator, has been arrested after years of running the operation.
According to a statement by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) on Sunday, August 17, detectives attached to the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) arrested the man alongside his accomplice, with whom he had developed a clandestine underground network secretly linked to the KPLC grid.
The syndicate ran the underground operation by supplying power to unauthorised third parties and causing damage to KPLC infrastructure in the Igembe North and South areas.
Reportedly, the suspect had already supplied the unmetered electricity to over 21 borehole pumps, providing water to Miraa farms in the region.
The network ran beyond Mpinda village to the surrounding areas of Kabuitu, Kanyakine, Muthucine, and Mangala, costing the lighting company Ksh90.7 million for the four years it operated.
Besides losing money to the unmetered electricity, the company also had to bear the brunt of the damages caused in its wake.
For instance, the network led to the damage of 14 transformers and subsequently, Ksh21 million was used in their replacements, bringing the total revenue lost due to the illegal project to Ksh110.7 million.
Currently, the suspects are in police custody, undergoing processing pending arraignment.
The arrest comes just days after the company warned of another scam where individuals were impersonating its Managing Director, Joseph Siror, in an attempt to solicit money from unsuspecting members of the public.
"We wish to alert the public and our esteemed customers to fraudulent individuals impersonating our Managing Director, Joseph Siror, while soliciting bribes and other illegal favours," the notice read in part.
"Kenya Power has zero tolerance for bribery, fraud and any other unethical conduct. All payments for electricity services should be made through authorised channels."
The con included the online solicitors offering unwitting electricity payment services that would lead to them losing their money.
