Nairobi residents have been warned of a new crackdown launched by Kenya Power Company in association with the National Police Service (NPS).
A report by Citizen TV on Tuesday, February 16, indicated that six people were arrested in connection with the vandalism of transformers across the city.
Several estates have experienced long power outages after the vandalism became rampant.
The lighting company revealed that since January 2021, over 16 transformers had been vandalised in Nairobi hence setting back progress in making power accessible to Kenyans.
During the Tuesday crackdown, six people suspected of running the vandalism racket were arrested in Kyangombe area in Embakasi, Nairobi.
The suspects were found with rolls of Copper and other equipment used in power transmission.
An official who was present during the operation indicated that the vandalism had affected both the company and citizens who depend on the power.
"Vandalism does not only affect Kenya Power, but also the citizens. There will be outages in those areas where transformers are not working because of vandalism.
"We urged them (citizens) to always be on the lookout for anyone going to the transformers and is not a Kenya Power employee should be reported to the police as soon as possible," stated the official.
He further noted that the crackdown was expected to be carried out until the problem is significantly reduced.
The six suspects are expected to be arraigned in court on Wednesday, February 17.
In 2019, the country lost more than Ksh60 million to criminals who steal and destroy street light infrastructure.
