6 Kenya Power staff freed, three others charged over national blackout » Capital News

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 26 – Six senior staff at the Kenya Power Company have been freed due to lack of evidence linking them to the nationwide blackout that affected the country two weeks ago.

Appearing before Kahawa Chief Magistrate Diana Mochache, three other employees were charged with sabotage and neglect of the energy company’s infrastructure.

They were however released on a Sh1 million cash bail each or a bond of Sh2 million each plus one surety.

“On diverse dates, being the employees of Kenya Power Company as the Acting General Manager Network Management, Manager Transmission Network Department and Second Assistant Engineer Transmission Department, willfully and unlawfully with intent to sabotage failed to maintain and reinforce the Dandora- Embakasi high voltage power lines used for the supply of electricity to citizens of the republic of Kenya,” part of the charges preferred against them stated.

It went on further to state that they “willfully neglected to attend to the Dandora- Embakasi high voltage transmission power towers.”

Top security chiefs will on Thursday hold a meeting to discuss the security of the energy sector infrastructure.

The meeting comes in the wake of increased vandalism especially of government infrastructure which President Uhuru Kenyatta had described as economic sabotage.

President banned any further dealing in scrap metal until guidelines to regulate the sector have been put in place.

The meeting to be headed by Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi and his Energy counterpart Monica Juma will also include National Government Administration Officers (NGAOs), Critical Infrastructure Protection Unit (CIPU) commanders and top KPLC and energy sector managers.

President Kenyatta had warned that anyone found culpable of vandalizing critical development infrastructure will be charged with treason.

He said such acts of vandalism translate to economic sabotage since the said infrastructures can bring the country’s activities to a standstill if they don’t operate optimally.