30 houses on power wayleave flattened in Nakuru : The Standard

At least 30 buildings constructed under high-voltage electricity pylons and those standing on oil pipeline wayleaves in Nakuru town have been demolished. Owners of the homes and businesses complied with notices issued by Kenya Power and Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) last month, and pulled down their structures. Kenya Power Central Rift Wayleave Officer Daisy Chumba said 50 more buildings would be pulled down. Ms Chumba said the structures are constructed on a 132,000 volts power wayleave that is on a 6.5-kilometre stretch from Keptembwo to Lanet Power Station.

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Before the ongoing voluntary demolition, locals had been issued with an eviction notice on October 4 that expired on October 11. Marking beacons Kenya Power and KPC have been marking beacons along the affected stretch after the expiry of the notice. About 4km had been covered.

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“Among Kenya Power’s five control centres countrywide, Nakuru’s is the most affected by encroachment,” Chumba said. According to the official, the high-voltage cables have strong magnetic fields around them, posing health risks to residents. She added that those affected by the demolition would not be compensated.

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According to the Energy Regulation Act, 2019, Kenya Power is empowered to charge people encroaching on its wayleaves. William Kendagor, KPC's regional officer in charge of security, said though several sensitisation campaigns have been done in the area, most residents have remained ignorant. “Fuel transported by the pipeline is dangerous. This is why we cannot allow locals to trade along the wayleave,” he said.

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Nakuru townKenya PowerKenya Pipeline Company