Kenya’s Senate Energy Committee has kicked off a probe on the high billing system by the Kenya Power and Lighting Company.
Nyeri Senator Ephraim Maina during the committee sitting said the members have raised concerns on the power costs in the country with the intention of summoning Energy Cabinet Secretary Charles Keter for further discussions.
“We should have a meeting, specifically to discuss the inflated electricity bills, someone has been paying Sh3000 per month one day they wake up and they give you a bill of Sh18,000,” said Maina.
Nominated senator Petronila Were in her submissions before the committee said that the CS will be expected to give reference to any measures the ministry must have taken earlier to reduce electricity billing.
“We need to do them a letter and also ask them to tell us what steps they have taken to reduce the bill because the consumption could be Sh150, but the other levies could lead to increased charges,” said Were.
Nominated Senator Abshiro Halake and Nyeri Senator Maina also staged a similar complaint where they have had experiences of paying for electricity at high costs.
“Somewhere they used to charge me Sh180,000 in a building, I removed those things and I put tokens which I do not even pay Sh3000 a month,” Maina said.
“I have a bill of Sh90,000 I do not understand and on average I have a household of three people,” Halake added.
Maina further warned that the inflated power billings will push residents in rural areas to resort to traditional ways of accessing power which is considered life-threatening.
Last year, Kenya Power was asked to explain why it bills its postpaid customers exorbitantly and disconnects their power when the users complain.
Kenya Power acting General Manager Business Strategy Thagishu Kiiru who appeared before the Senate Energy Committee in 2019 failed to give reasons for the inflated billings.
Source: Capital FM
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