KPLC managers face terror charges
The 10 Kenya Power senior managers who were arrested on Tuesday could face terror and sabotage charges.
Managers, who will remain in custody for the next eight days as detectives finalise investigations, are said to have failed to act on vandalism reports.
Detectives had requested to detain the managers for 21 days but the court instead granted them eight days and directed that they be charged at Muthaiga Police Station. The case has been slated for mention on January 26.
The managers will be charged with committing terrorist acts and sabotage after the detectives, in an affidavit, argued that the failure to act on the reports about vandalism to Kenya Power high voltage lines that led to countrywide outage was deliberate and calculated.
Investigating officer, Chief Inspector Keith Robert attached to the DCI’s Serious Crime Unit (SCU) said due to management failure, and inaction that led to the collapse of the four towers and power blackout, the provision of essential and emergency services was disrupted and interfered with which constitutes an act of terror under the definition of “terrorist act”.
Under Section 2 of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA), any act that endangers the life of a person, creates serious risk to the health or safety of the public, interferes or disrupts the provision of essential or emergency services, and which is carried out with the aim of causing fear amongst members of the public or intimidate the government to refrain from any act amounts to a terrorist act.
Suspects, David Mutitu, George Korir, Julius Mwaniki, Geoffrey Kigen, Anthony Njaramba, Martin Makasa, Joshua Mang’eni, Raphael Kimeu and Peter Kithusya, were yesterday arraigned before Kahawa Chief Magistrate Court where the charges of sabotage were read to them.
Inspector Robert stated that on December 9, 2021, a report was made at the ICD police post by Administration Police (AP) officers who were manning the Expressway Construction about vandalism of tower number 7 belonging to Kenya Power.
The same was reported to Kenya Power LAN support system and the management failed to take action.
Critical services
“Due to management failure and inaction, the vandalism was extended to the neighbouring towers subsequently forcing four Kiambere –Nairobi towers number 11, 12, 13 and 14 to collapse on January 11,” he said.
Detectives said the fallen towers occasioned a countrywide power blackout and this led to many Kenyans suffering unexpected losses to their businesses and interruptions of critical and crucial services.
“Systemic sabotage and likely commission of terrorism act could have resulted in a calamity, mass deaths and massive destruction of property and uncountable losses given the high voltage electric current that is conveyed by the said power line,” the detective said.
In justifying sabotage, detectives argued that due to the collapse of the towers, lives of hundreds of Kenyans living along the corridor of the high voltage power line were endangered and this caused serious risk to the safety of the public.
Preliminary investigations reveal that there was an act of negligence and sabotage, which was clearly manifested and demonstrated by the attached crime scene photographs that were presented in court.
In requesting for more days, the detectives said due to the bulky nature of the data, digital and electronic gadgets involved, the investigating team comprising Digital and Electronic Cyber Forensics experts were yet to comprehensively analyse the digital and electronic gadgets recovered from the suspects workplace.
This, they added, would inform on more suitable charges against the suspects, which may include serious economic crimes.
The officers said they were worried about interference from the suspects since most of them share the same profession with the invited independent engineers thus their interaction may jeopardise independent outcome.
They also added that they intended to record numerous statements, most of them from officers who are junior to the suspects.
