A man who vandalized a customer’s electricity meter board in Meru County has been sentenced to 10 years in prison or a fine of Ksh 5 million.
Brian Wahome who was handed the sentence by Nanyuki Law Court Resident Magistrate Lisper Gakii Nyaga was charged with stealing energy equipment contrary to section 169 (1) (c) of the Energy Act 2019.
Kenya Power has welcomed the judgment terming it a big boost to the fight against vandalism of its assets.
“This sentence will go a long way to deter vandalism and other illegal activities on the network. We are relentless in the fight against these crimes as they pose the danger of loss of life through electrocution and undermine the quality of power supply, beyond financial losses to the Company,” said Paul Nyaga Gichovi, Kenya Power Ag. Security Services Manager.
At the time of his arrest, Wahome was found in possession of two cutouts, a switch, and the meter board.
“In the fight against illegal activities on the electricity distribution network, we have enlisted the support of various stakeholders including the National Government Administration Officers. I urge members of the public to support this fight by way of reporting any suspicious activities on the network to the nearest police station or Kenya Power office,” added Gichovi.
