The Kenya Power and Lighting Company has called on the public to collaborate with its staff, who will be clearing trees that are near power lines in readiness for the El-Nino rains.
Speaking during the release of the company’s financial statement, KPLC CEO Joseph Siror has attributed frequent power outages to trees that fall on power lines.
The CEO has clarified that it will only cut trees that are dangerously adjacent to its lines.
“We have had challenges with our citizens who oppose cutting of trees near powerlines. However, when those very trees fall and cause outage, the ones who oppose their cutting complaint about Kenya Power. ” Siror has said.
Siror has noted that power outages affect critical installations like medical facilities that rely on a continuous electricity supply.
The Kenya Meteorological Service Authority forecasts that the rains will hit the country from October to January next year.
KPLC has further called on owners of buildings on riparian land to bring down the structures, noting that flooding resulting from obstruction of water ways affects critical electricity infrastructure.
“Our Substation in South C was flooded last year. The rains broke the walls of a neighbouring school and got to the station, but when you look at the area, you will note that buildings have been erected along the river line, resulting in flooding. ” He said.
The company has allocated Ksh. 78 million shillings to repair infrastructure that was damaged during the floods in Nairobi West and other areas.
KPLC has said it is involved in planting of trees with over 3 million trees being planted by the power supplier in the last 8 years.
Kenya power has further cautioned kenyans against vandalising its infrastructure.
Siror says the trade in scrap metal is the biggest catalyst for theft and destruction if its infrastructure.
“When government banned scrap metal for six months we saw zero cases of our transformers being vandalised. There was a time when Kenya’s copper exports was 7 billion shillings yet Kenya is not a copper mining country. The copper being exported is mostly from vandalised electricity infrastructure. ” He said.
