Vandalism Causes Collapse of Power Transmission Tower, Disrupts Supply
An act of vandalism caused the collapse of a transmission tower along the Naivasha-Juja 132kV double-circuit line, disrupting electricity supply through the Ruaraka Substation early Sunday morning.
Kenya Power said the incident occurred at approximately 3:00 a.m., but power supply to all affected customers was restored by 4:30 a.m. after its teams rerouted electricity through alternative substations.
In a statement, the utility company said items recovered at the scene suggested that the vandals were present when the transmission tower collapsed.
“Items recovered at the scene indicate that the vandals were present when the tower collapsed,” Kenya Power said.
The company’s security team, together with the police, has launched investigations into the incident.
Kenya Power said its transmission and Airmobile teams had also commenced restoration works on the damaged infrastructure.
The company condemned the increasing cases of vandalism targeting electricity infrastructure, warning that the incidents pose a threat to public safety and the reliability of electricity supply.
“We condemn acts of vandalism targeting electricity infrastructure, which threaten public safety, disrupt electricity supply and result in substantial financial losses. In the last three months alone, we have recorded a 200% increase in vandalism incidents, including 37 transformers which were vandalised over the period,” the company said.
Kenya Power said vandalism has become one of the major threats to the reliability and sustainability of the country’s electricity network.
The utility called for stronger and coordinated measures to protect critical electricity infrastructure and safeguard investments in the power network.
“We urge our customers and the public to join us in protecting the electricity infrastructure serving their communities by reporting suspicious activities around power installations to the nearest police station or Kenya Power,” the company said.
