Kennedy Senelwa and Dennis Ouma
16 November 2009
Nairobi — Kenya Power and Lighting Company is building a 122 kilometre long electricity transmission line between Kamburu Dam and Meru Town.
The power firm said the line being constructed at a cost of Sh1.6 billion is intended to improve quality and reliability of electricity supplied to customers in the region.
KPLC managing director Joseph Njoroge said the project entails building of a new sub-station in Meru.
"Additional revenue arising out of recent tariff increase will apart from paying for reviewed bulk power purchases from generation firms, be used to modernise, expand, operate and maintain distribution network," he said.
The MD said in an interview with the Nation that Kiganjo, Othaya and Karatina sub-stations in Mount Kenya region will be upgraded to each have two transformers at a cost of about Sh143 million.
Mr Njoroge said KPLC managed to connect 200,600 new customers during the year ended on June 30, 2009 surpassing a target of 200,000 set by the government.
He said that apart from devolving services, his firm is in the process of implementing a corporate culture change that will usher in a new identity as well as improved internal and external service delivery.
"Over the next three years, customers and stakeholders will experience a more modern KPLC, as we implement enhanced service standards coupled with new a look comprising a new logo and corporate colours," he said.
Meanwhile, a campaign against vandalism in the North Rift in the last six months has resulted in a 35 per cent drop in the theft of transformers, an official has said.
Area security officer Protus Munyendo, however, said KPLC still loses an average of five transformers a month valued at Sh5 million.
Speaking in Kitale Town the official attributed the decline to involvement of the provincial administration in the region.
Kitale branch business manager Lucas Huko said consumers would continue to pay high electricity bills because hydropower production is yet to hit its optimum.
"Though power rationing ended last month electricity tariffs may not substantially come down as expected because we are still using thermal generation which is relatively expensive," he said.
Mr Huko said plans were underway to set up a transmission line at a cost of Sh100 million to boost electricity supply in the region.
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