Despite a public outcry over the high cost of electricity in the country, Kenya Power, which trades under the KPLC ticker, argued that it was better to have expensive power than to have no power at all.
Through the acting Managing Director, Geoffrey Wasua Muli, Kenyans were urged to look at the value electricity brings rather than the cost.
Muli spoke during an exposé by John Allan Namu's Africa Uncensored titled The Billing Burden; Your Electricity Bill Explained which aired on KTN News from Thursday, January 26, to Sunday, January 29, at 8.30 pm.
He argued that the electricity cost in Kenya was inexpensive compared to the value Kenyans get from it.
"It is better to have expensive power than no power. Sometimes I ask myself, 'What is expensive?' It is more of a mindset than a reality. If you look at what electricity does in people's lives and look at the value that it adds to our lives, we would not be very preoccupied with the cost," he explained.
Furthermore, he added that the cost was a reflection of the amount of investment that has been put in to ensure that the level of quality in this part of the world is achieved.
"I would not say the cost of power is high. I would say the cost of power is reflective of the amount of investment that has been put to ensure that level of quality in this part of the world is achieved," he defended.
However, he assured Kenyans that the government was looking at ways to get quality and reliable power supply noting, "Sustainability is more important at any cost."
The defense came after Kenyans lamented over the high cost of electricity even with the looming tariff review by KPLC.
In the new tariff, Kenyans will pay double the electricity charges should the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) approve it.
According to Kenya Power, the move is aimed at increasing the revenue collected from Kenyans.
"To achieve this broad mandate, there is a need for an electricity retail tariff that is just and reasonable to allow Kenya Power Company to maintain its financial integrity, attract capital, operate efficiently and compensate investors for risks assumed," read the statement in part.
The veteran investigative journalist is famous for his extensive exposés in various fields across the country.
In January 2023, he aired another investigative series titled the Last Door where he unearthed numerous unsolved cases in Kenya.
