The Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) is facing a growing crisis in Lower Eastern, with a surge in infrastructure vandalism severely impacting operations and driving up electricity costs across the country.

In Machakos alone, 25 transformers were vandalized in 2022, with the number climbing to 30 cases in 2023.

The situation is even more critical in Nairobi, where 85 transformers were destroyed last year, leading to millions of shillings in losses through disrupted services and lost business opportunities.

Addressing residents during a community outreach in Machakos yesterday, KPLC’s Nairobi Regional Director, Hicks Amumbwa Waswa, said the rampant vandalism has become a major cause of persistent power outages and rising electricity prices.

“These are not mere thefts they are deliberate acts that cripple livelihoods and stall progress,” Waswa noted.

In response, the utility firm is ramping up its modernization agenda. Among the key interventions is the deployment of smart meters equipped with SIM cards, designed to enhance communication with customers and eliminate the need for manual meter readings.

Kenya Power is also lobbying Parliament to pass a proposal that would place street lighting under the Ministry of Interior, citing the escalating attacks on power infrastructure as a threat to national security.

Machakos continues to be a key revenue hub for Kenya Power, with over 400,000 customers and generating an estimated Sh2 billion monthly.

However, the region's residents have expressed dissatisfaction with the company’s delayed response to outages and inadequate support during disruptions.

Festus Odumbe, representing the Kenya Alliance of Resident Associations (KARA), underscored the group's dedication to ensuring community voices are heard and holding service providers accountable.

As vandalism cases rise, the pressure mounts on both KPLC and lawmakers to take urgent and decisive action to safeguard the power grid and ease the burden on consumers.