Kampuni ya Kenya Power imepinga data kutoka kwa Ofisi ya Kitaifa ya Takwimu (KNBS) kwamba nyumba 680,000 ziliunganishwa stima kinyume cha sheria na gridi ya taifa miaka miwili iliyopita, hatua ambayo huenda ikazua vita kati ya mashirika hayo mawili ya Serikali.
Kaimu Mkurugenzi Mkuu wa Kenya Power Geoffrey alihoji chanzo cha data hiyo na kuongeza kuwa takwimu hizo ni nyingi mno na zitakuwa pigo kubwa kwa juhudi zake za kukuza mapato.
Sensa ya Idadi ya Watu ya 2019 na KNBS ilifichua kuwa kaya 6,069,680 ziliunganishwa kwa njia ya umeme, idadi kubwa kuliko 5,390,396 ambazo Kenya Power ilitoa mwaka huo huo.
Miunganisho haramu ni mojawapo ya sababu za hasara ya mifumo ambayo Kenya Power inapata nafuu kwa kupitisha gharama kwa watumiaji, na kusababisha gharama kubwa ya nishati.
“Idadi hiyo ni kubwa mno kuwa kweli na ina maana pia kwamba yeyote aliyetoa data anajua hasa mahali ambapo miunganisho hii haramu ilipo,” Bw Muli alisema.
“We do not know where that data came from we are not aware of it,” he said as he disowned the data.
He did not however provide the exact numbers of illegal connections the utility is battling.
Kenya Power embarked on a heightened clampdown on illegal connections in a bid to curb revenue losses two years ago.
The State-owned power distributor last year announced partnerships with community groups in Mathare, Mukuru and Kibera slums in a bid to recover an estimated Sh2 billion from the illegal connections.
Kenya Power loses about 20 per cent in revenues due to illegal connections and fraud, highlighting the impact of the crime on the firm’s revenue growth.
The Energy and Regulatory Authority 2020 allowed to recover system losses that are equivalent to 19.9 per cent of the units it buys from power producers, up from 14.9 per cent.
Illegal connections involve a person who is connected to the national grid, illegally connecting other persons from his line and charging them, denying Kenya Power revenues.
Viunganishi hivyo pia husababisha kujaa kupita kiasi kwa transfoma, hivyo kuhatarisha ubora wa nishati kupitia kuharibika kwa transfoma, na kuongeza gharama za Kenya Power katika kukarabati au kununua transfoma mpya.
Wale wanaopatikana wakitumia umeme uliounganishwa kinyume cha sheria wana hatari ya kutozwa faini ya Sh1 milioni au mwaka jela au vyote kwa pamoja chini ya sheria— faini ambazo hazijasaidia kukomesha uhalifu huo, hasa katika makazi yasiyo rasmi.
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