Kinoti goes after Kenya Power staff, customers over meter billing scandal : The Standard

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has summoned more than 200 firms and individuals over alleged fraud at Kenya Power involving millions of shillings in post-paid billing scandal. Yesterday, DCI Director George Kinoti released a list of Kenya Power employees, brokers and some customers in a case where 5,000 customers benefited and ordered them to present themselves for questioning starting next week. At least 119 companies and 85 individuals were summoned. “The DCI is currently investigating allegations of fraud involving millions of shillings in KP in regards to billing of post-paid customers. The funds were lost as a result of conspiracy between some company staff, brokers and customers,” states Kinoti through a statement on his behalf by John Kariuki. Kinoti has directed those summoned to present themselves at the DCI headquarters on Kiambu road on specified dates.

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Though Kinoti has not given the actual figure lost, persons sought and companies listed are being probed over their alleged involvement in the offence at the firm, costing taxpayers' millions of shillings. The interrogations are scheduled to take the whole of next month, from Monday, involving customers in Nairobi, North Eastern, North Rift, Central Rift, Coast, Western Kenya and South Nyanza regions. There has been an outcry among Kenyans over inflated meter bills. Parliament has several times grilled top Kenya Power bosses over the high costs that saw former Law Society of Kenya CEO Apollo Mboya sue the company. Last year, the firm issued a 30-day deadline for consumers to raise complaints about inflated bills after it reached an out-of-court settlement with Mr Mboya.

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The firm set up centres countrywide for customers to query their billings. For consumers using post-paid billing, they had a chance to have their actual meter readings weighed against Kenya Power estimates to determine how much they owed. The company will also pay Apollo and the Electricity Consumers Society of Kenya the costs of filing the suit. In January last year, Mboya, acting on behalf of consumers, filed a class action suit against Kenya Power, protesting that the firm abused its market dominance to overcharge them.

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DCIGeorge KinotiKenya PowerMeter billing scandal