Kenya Power Cable Thief Jailed

A man caught stealing underground electricity cables along Haile Selassie Avenue, in Nairobi’s Central Business District, has been sentenced to two years in jail for vandalism.

Clinton Oketch was handed the penalty without the option of a fine by Kibera chief magistrate Joyce Gandani.

He had pleaded guilty to charges of vandalizing energy equipment belonging to Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) worth Sh20,000 on July 11.

The daring thief also admitted to vandalizing energy installations and infrastructure contrary to section 169 of the Energy Act.

The court heard that police constable Willy Saina attached to KPLC security department received a call from a member of the public who informed him that there were people digging up KPLC cables along Haile Selassie Avenue near the railways club.

He marshaled his colleagues and proceeded to the scene where he found a number of men in the act.

A few of them managed to escape with some of the stolen equipment but Oketch was not as lucky.

He was cornered and apprehended with four pieces of copper electric cables.

Saina presented the four cables to court as exhibits and Oketch agreed that he was found with them during the time of his arrest.

Two other thieves who nearly cut off power at Parliament buildings in a similar vandalism attempt await sentencing after pleading guilty to the crime.

They will be sentenced on July 14.

Another thief found in the area was handed a three years jail term last month after admitting the same charges.

Kenya power security officers are grappling with the rise of the daylight vandalism of underground electricity infrastructure by daring vandals targeting high voltage copper cables for sale to unscrupulous scrap metal dealers.