Kenya Power Reveals How Attack On Staff Led To Kenyatta University Students’ Protests
The locals pelted stones at the staff, thus injuring them and causing damage to the company vehicle as the Kenya Power engineers worked to address the issue.
Marvin Chege 
Kenya Power on Monday, January 27 responded to demonstrations staged by Kenyatta University students along the Thika Superhighway to protest the lack of electricity for a week in the learning institution, pinning this on violence meted out on its staff by locals in Roysambu, Nairobi County.
In a statement, Kenya Power, operating as KPLC in its ticker, revealed that the locals pelted stones at the staff, thus injuring them and causing damage to the company vehicle as the Kenya Power engineers worked to address the issue.
The monopoly power firm revealed that late last year, a 200kVA transformer serving the Kiwanja area in Roysambu failed. At the time, the company did not have similar units in its stores.
Therefore, to mitigate a power outage in the area, a bigger capacity transformer (315kVA) was temporarily deployed to the affected site while an appropriate replacement was being sought.
Kenya Power engineers at work. /HIVISASA
"The area is home to hostels and other domestic establishments where some students from Kenyatta University reside, among other residents," stated Kenya Power in part.
"An ideal transformer with the capacity to serve the Kiwanja area (200kVA) was secured and dispatched last week, on Thursday, 23rd January 2025 for installation."
Kenya Power went on to add that the team was instructed to install the new transformer and recover the 315kVA unit installed as a stop-gap measure. The recovery of the 315KVA transformer, whose capacity is bigger than the demand in the affected area, aligns with the Company's goal to ensure that resources are utilized optimally.
However, efforts by the team to disconnect the transformer for a replacement were met with significant difficulty as they were confronted by locals who meted violence on them, for reasons yet to be established.
"As soon as the team commenced disconnection of the 315KVA transformer to facilitate the swap, locals confronted them by throwing stones, injuring a number of staff and damaging the truck that had ferried the team and the new transformer to the site. The truck's hydraulic system was damaged, wheels punctured, and the windscreen was smashed," added the statement.
"The staff managed to escape after being beaten and harassed. They are receiving medical attention while the truck has been moved to the workshop for repairs."
Kenya Power expressed its commitment to providing a safe and adequate power supply to all its customers as well as the safety of all its staff who strive to ensure that electricity is available to all customers. "Therefore, the Company does not condone any form of violence against its staff," added the power firm.
The company went on to state that it is working with the relevant security agencies to resolve the challenges in Kiwanja in a bid to restore the power supply at the earliest opportunity.
On Monday, Kenyatta University students blocked a section of the Thika Superhighway, causing a significant traffic snarlup to protest the power outage. According to Adero Reagan, a Representative of Students Residing Outside Campus, the institution has experienced an outage for the past two weeks.
He stated that students will continue protesting until their demands are met. “For the last two weeks, we have not been having power. If this is the way they want us to go, then we will also move in this direction. We have decided that there is no business on Thika Highway until our demands are well restored,” Reagan asserted.
