Detectives on Friday, May 26, raided Cabanas, Embakasi in Nairobi and recovered Ksh7 million stolen goods from Kenya Power.
According to the detectives, the team acted after a tip-off from the residents who raised the alarm about suspicious activities at a local godown.
Energy Principal Secretary (PS) Alex Wachira, who was at the scene, explained that the businessmen had molten the aluminium cables and turned them into window panes.
The goods were also hidden inside a container awaiting release to the market illegally.
According to the PS, the owners of the godown and the sellers would be charged with vandalism of government property.
"They took the conductors, cut them into small pieces, and smelted them in the middle of the night and the morning," Wachira stated.
In April 2023, the PS disclosed that the country lost an average of 20 transformers stolen weekly. He added that the incidents were affecting the economy.
"Transformer theft cases have increased due to the high demand for copper wires in the black market. Parliament should impose heavy fines and sentences to all found guilty," the PS stated.
On May 20, Treasury Cabinet Secretary (CS) Davis Chirchir threatened to introduce a ban on scrap metal due to the increased vandalism of power lines.
He argued that the vandals had greatly disadvantaged the public with the rampant blackouts after the ban was lifted.
"When you become vandals you are fighting the government. If we decide to wind up this sector we can do that in one day," Chirchir stated.
On May 25, the Scrap Metal Council (SMC) also threatened to revoke the licenses of traders accused of vandalising critical public and private sectors infrastructure.
“We have so far revoked the license of Triple Seven Collectors Ltd with immediate effect. We are in consultation with the Inspector General of Police and Commissioner General (KRA) to be supplied with information on all misconducts in the scrap metal industry for appropriate action,” council’s chairperson Francis Mugo stated.
In 2022 former President Uhuru Kenyatta implemented the ban on scrap metal after one vandalism incident resulted in a countrywide blackout.
Uhuru noted that the trade would be reopened when proper guidelines were put in place to ensure that materials is not coming from the hard-won investments that Kenyans had made.
