Kenya Power assures Salgaa consumers of enhanced services
Kenya Power is keen on enhancing service delivery to large power consumers within Salgaa area in Nakuru County in a bid to promote the manufacturing sector.
The move follows the recent elevation of Nakuru to a city and with Salgaa having been designated as an industrial hub, the power utility firm revealed that there was a need to ensure there is reliable electricity.
Kenya Power Central Rift regional manager Eng. David Syengo said the company has embarked on programme targetting industrial and commercial consumers as more companies move in to set shop in Nakuru.
Syengo said the company is targetting to set up substations in the area which has adequate capacity to accommodate additional power demand to existing industries who would like to expand their operations, as well as new industrial and commercial enterprises.
“Salgaa is an industrial hub and this provides an opportunity to expand our connectivity, our power supply is okay but we are looking at how we can do a substation in the area to boost power supply,”he said.
Speaking in Nakuru, Syengo noted that the same would be done in a phased manner, saying within the industrial areas in the region the company has done continuous upgrades and installed alternative power lines to stabilise the grid.
He added that the company had been able to reduce system losses by 2 percent in the last quarter from 25 percent to 23.19 percent saying they are planning on reducing the numbers down to manageable levels.
Syengo, pointed out that in the past twelve months the company in had incurred losses of over Sh 45 million in the region within twelve months after criminals vandalised 63 transformers and distribution lines.
“Nakuru is most notorious with Naivasha leading the pack in Maai Mahiu, Kassarani, Maiela, Kinamba and Karati, it is followed by Nyandarua County, Narok Bomet and Kericho, where we have high cases,” said Syengo.
Active investigations
He added; ”We have 75 active cases in court and over 20 others under active investigations,”
Nakuru County Business Manager Henry Pwani said statistics from Kenya Power indicate that vandalism, meter tampering and power theft through illegal connections are costing the company Sh 500 million in losses every year.
In addition to inconveniencing customers, Pwani indicated that theft of transformers negatively impacted on the company’s revenues as it reduces electricity sales and increased the cost of replacing the assets.
“Replacing a vandalised transformer costs are high and when other expenses are factored in, the cost escalates,” he said.
He said the firm recently stepped-up efforts to combat vandalism of its infrastructure in a bid to deter criminals through installation of sensors on transformers, increased surveillance and crack downs on scrap metal dealers and enhanced night patrols.
Occasioned by rising demand for copper wires in the market and whose price is quite attractive, vandals have risked their lives to rip transformers from high voltage transmission lines.
