UDA MP Explains KPLC Contracts Making Electricity Too Expensive

President William Ruto, DP Rigathi Gachagua, Prime CS Musalia Mudavadi the launch of the Hustler Fund at the Green Park terminus on Wednesday, November 30, 2022.
President William Ruto, DP Rigathi Gachagua, Prime CS Musalia Mudavadi the launch of the Hustler Fund at the Green Park terminus on Wednesday, November 30, 2022.
Kenyans.co.ke

Molo Member of Parliament Kimani Kuria on Tuesday, January 17, blew the lid on shadowy contracts that have in turn forced Kenyans to buy costly electricity tokens. 

Kuria told journalists that Kenya Power (KPLC) is not to blame for the expensive cost of power in the country. 

According to Kuria, KPLC has no option but to adhere to the contracts that are forcing the power distributor to purchase electricity at exorbitant costs. 

"The most significant problem we have is the cost at which Kenya Power is acquiring this electricity from independent power producers that were procured without due consideration of citizens who consume electricity," Kuria claimed. 

Kamani Kuria
Molo MP and Chairman, Finance and National Planning Committee, National Assembly, Kimani Kuria during a past event.
Daily Nation

The Molo legislator revealed that power utility was not able to deviate from the long-term contracts that were signed during the previous government. 

"The contracts do force Kenya Power to purchase electricity from the independent power producers whether they like it or not. And it is purchased it at exorbitant prices," Kuria asserted. 

Kuria claimed that the previous regime simply awarded loyalists with business opportunities that were clearly meant to burden poor Kenyans who use electricity. 

"It was time to reward political supporters of the previous government. In the contracts, the independent power producers were allowed to sell electricity at exorbitant pre-determined prices to Kenya Power," noted Kuria. 

Kuria explained that Kenya Power had very limited options during the period when they signed contracts with independent power producers in the country. 

"The price at which Kenya power buys power from independent power producers was poorly negotiated. 

"We allowed anybody who then would purport to produce power to sell it at a pre-determined price to Kenya Power. 

"That is why it becoming very expensive for Kenya Power to retail that electricity to dear Kenyans," Kuria explained. 

However, the Kenya Kwanza government kicked off a process of reviewing contracts that Kenya Power signed during former President Uhuru Kenyatta's government in order to re-negotiate them. 

"President William Ruto's government is reviewing the past contracts with an intention of re-negotiating the contracts, and once that has been established, I'm sure the cost of power will significantly go down," Kuria revealed. 

At the parliamentary level, the Chairman, Finance and National Planning Committee of the National Assembly, revealed that MPs are in the process of looking into the taxes that have also led to the high cost of power in the country. 

"We are also re-looking at the tax component of deals in which Kenya Power was involved so that we may review them," Kuria explained. 

A photo collage of former President Uhuru Kenyatta as captured by photojournalist Daniel Kinyanjui Kimani
A photo collage of former President Uhuru Kenyatta as captured by photojournalist Daniel Kinyanjui Kimani
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Pauline Njoroge