Kenya Power has disconnected electricity supply to more than 20 flats in Nairobi’s Tassia Estate in an operation aimed at stamping out illegal electricity connections.

The crackdown was carried out by a team comprising of the Company’s security personnel, revenue protection unit staff, and the police.

It is one of the various security operations the company is carrying out across the country to curb vandalism, illegal connections, and theft of electricity distribution equipment.

“Illegal power connections pose danger not only to the culprits but also to beneficiaries. In collaboration with the police, the Company is carrying out operations to ensure that we eliminate illegal connections, by-passing of meters and theft of our equipment,” said Eng. Aggrey Machasio, Kenya Power's Regional Manager for Nairobi South region. He added that those who are found culpable will be arrested and charged in court.

Illegal connections are a risk to the Kenya Power's revenue as they provide an avenue for beneficiaries to enjoy unmetered electricity for which the company cannot collect revenue. In addition, they overload the electricity distribution network thus causing outages and undermining the quality of power supply.

Because of sustained surveillance on the network through countrywide operations, the Kenya Power has been able to significantly reduce the number of vandalized transformers and other materials. In the last financial year, 133 transformers were vandalized compared to 222 in the previous year, according to data in the Company's annual report.

The reduction in the number of vandalized equipment and illegal connections translates into a saving on the capital expenditure and an increase in revenue from the sale of electricity. In the last financial year, the Kenya Power earned KShs.91 billion from the sale of electricity, up from KShs.87 billion the previous year due to the growth of the customer base and deployment of various measures to protect revenue.