Eva Nyambura
Kenya power has issued a statement rubbishing media reports that it has been procuring and installing faulty transformers, that risk the lives of their consumers.
In an article published by a local daily, Kenya power was accused of being involved in dubious businesses with companies that supplied substandard transformers. The story stated that the transformers failed the company’s own quality tests; they were of poor build, the materials used to manufacture them were of poor quality, their oil was leaking, and they were losing too much power in what is called “load losses”.
In their response, Kenya power states that the story was maliciously meant to misinform the public.
“It is obvious from the story that there is a deliberate mix-up of information with the intention to misinform the public and falsely linking customer bills with procurement processes of the transformers. The assertions, insinuations and claims contained in the story are therefore false, sensational, malicious and done in bad faith,” stated Kenya Power.
According to them, they tendered for supply of transformers in 2012, which were won by Muwa Trading Company (Muwa) and Nucon Switchgears PVT Ltd (Nucon). The two companies caused delay hence their contract terminated. Later, the contract of Muwa was restored after an out-of-court agreement.
Kenya Power states that Muwa delivered its transformers which were inspected and “passed the technical test and accepted”.
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However, the articled showed how Kenya Power later accepted the faulty transformers and paid for them as part of a “compromise” negotiated in an out-of-court settlement after the supplier sued.
Nucon case seeking to reinstatement of the contract is still in court, according to the statement.
“Kenya power has deployed 154 transformers in the field while 52 are at its storage yards,” added the statement sent to newsrooms.
Kenya Power has been under the spotlight from consumers over outrageous power bills, with some consumers being disconnected for failure to pay the bills.
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