- Two men in Ndhiwa have been sentenced for destroying electrical equipment and destroying electrical infrastructure, after finding transformer oil and fuses
- The court emphasized that the sentences were intended to prevent the increasing cases of vandalism and power outages in small counties
- Kenya Power welcomed the decision, with security services manager Major Geoffery Kigen (Retd) urging the public to report suspicious activity on power plants
Bay Fever: Two men have been jailed for 10 years each and fined KSh 5 million each after being found guilty of trespassing on the property of the Kenya Electricity and Lighting Company (KPLC).
Source: Twitter
On Friday, December 5, the Ndhiwa court sentenced two men on charges of destroying electrical equipment and illegally destroying electricity infrastructure.
The first accused, David Ochieng Lang’o, was arrested in July this year during a joint operation involving security officers of the Kenya Power and Migori police.
How David Ochieng found himself in trouble
He was found with 10 oil cans suspected to be extracted from damaged transformers. Although he pleaded not guilty, the court decided there was enough evidence and sentenced him.
The second accused, Godwin Omondi Oduogi, was arrested in April 2025 by officers of the DCI of Ndhiwa after cutting the customer illegally.
A joint investigation by Kenya Power and DCI revealed that he also had a transformer fuse.
Like Lang’o, he denied the charges but was tried and convicted.
In its judgment, the court highlighted the growing problem of vandalism and frequent power outages in Ndhiwa sub-county, stressing that the sentences were intended as a deterrent and as a reminder of the seriousness of crimes targeting electricity infrastructure.
How Kenya Power said about the prison sentence given to Ndhiwa men
Kenya Power’s security services manager, Major Geoffery Kigen (Retired), welcomed the decision, describing it as justice for customers and businesses affected by the actions.
“This decision continues to strengthen our commitment to protect the electricity infrastructure that serves our people. As Kenya Power, we thank the Court and law enforcement agencies for their continued assistance in ensuring that justice is served in such cases,” said Kigen.
He continued to urge the public to be vigilant in protecting energy assets.
“These judgments also emphasize our request to the public that they should report any suspicious activities at power plants to the relevant authorities for action. When damage occurs, it affects our livelihood and the safety of our communities,” he added.
How the Uhuru administration protected Kenya Power’s infrastructure
Frequent blackouts, including recent nationwide blackouts, have been repeatedly attributed to damage targeting power company transmission lines.
Source: Twitter
In response, former Interior Cabinet secretary Fred Matiang’i issued a gazette notice classifying Kenya Power’s infrastructure as part of the country’s critical assets.
This led to the deployment of officers from the Critical Infrastructure Protection Unit (CIPU) to provide continuous surveillance and secure the facilities.
Vandals typically strike the installations to sell stolen materials to scrap metal dealers.
To stem the rising cases and disrupt the illegal scrap trade, former president Uhuru Kenyatta imposed an immediate ban on scrap metal sales before leaving office.
When announcing the directive in January 2022, Uhuru condemned the vandalism and economic sabotage as “acts of treason,” while pledging to introduce policies ensuring that materials would not be sourced from taxpayer-funded public infrastructure.
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