Increased vandalism of electricity installations in parts of Muhoroni Sub-County, Kisumu County has left several villages and public institutions in darkness, impacting negatively on the community.
The the recent incident, where a transformer was vandalized by thieves in Miwani Section 3 primary school, has triggered concerns from stakeholders and relevant authorities.
Muhoroni Constituency Manager Sospeter Ngere has decried that such an unscrupulous act has since disrupted electricity supply in the school and the nearby community.
He stressed that vandalism of the power infrastructure is not only an act of criminality that results in economic sabotage, but also endangers lives.
Speaking to the Kenya News Agency, Ngere called on local administration, elected leaders, and the public to be vigilant and report any suspected unusual activity around critical power infrastructure installations.
The manager stressed that all electrical equipment provided in the communities was meant for the benefit of the community, and urged residents to exercise greater responsibility, so that the actions of a few miscreants would not deprive others of the advantages of such investments.
“When you see any suspicious person with electricity cables and electricity poles or near transformers, please report them urgently to the nearby police station,” Ngere advised.
He emphasized that Muhoroni MP James Koyoo is committed to connecting schools to electricity and having transformers to ensure that the learning process runs smoothly and uninterrupted.
“When Koyoo was elected as the area MP he found 90 percent of the schools in Muhoroni without electricity. As we speak, there is no single school in the constituency without electricity,” Ngere noted.
The constituency is also leveraging the last mile maximization program to connect more rural homes to electricity.
“We are trying our best to bring electricity to the remotest parts and connect everyone with the aim to achieve universal access.
Hence, we are not going to tolerate some individuals trying to derail these efforts by stealing the power cables and transformers,” he stated.
The manager added that the constituency office is committed to unmasking all the culprits behind the electrical materials theft syndicate in the area.
“Anyone with information about the culprits, please visit the Chief’s, Assistant Chief’s office or the police to help identify them. All the disclosures would be treated with utmost confidentiality,” he assured.
Ngere further appealed to Kenya Power Company managers in the region to investigate the matter and determine whether any of their staff were involved in the same vandalism.
By Robert Ojwang’
