Thika Man Arrested in Possession of 140 Litres of Transformer Oil

Police in Thika have apprehended a man who was found in possession of damaged electrical equipment, including 140 litres of transformer oil and copper windings.

Acting on a tip from the public, law enforcement apprehended the 27-year-old suspect at his home in Kimuchu village on Saturday evening. As an added measure, they also took possession of a tuk-tuk assumed to have been utilized to transport the pilfered items. According to Thika West Sub-county Criminal Investigations Officer Jacinta Mbaika, the suspect claimed that the equipment had been brought to his home three days prior, and some of the copper windings had already been relocated to an undisclosed location.

It seems that seven transformers in Thika have been vandalized, as evidenced by the recovered amount of transformer oil. Mbaika confirms that there is a larger group of vandals operating in the area. He reassures the public of the authorities’ commitment to apprehend the vandals and hold them accountable for their actions. To defeat the ongoing problem of vandalization, the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) recently declared its collaboration with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).

There is also an emphasis on utilizing an intelligence-based strategy in arresting culprits. There has been a notable surge in instances of transformer vandalism with a rise of 46 per cent. In 2023, a total of 242 transformers were impacted, marking a significant increase from the 165 units affected in the previous year.

Kenya Power has disclosed that out of the 1,026 individuals apprehended and prosecuted for engaging in unlawful activities within the electricity network since July 2022, an astonishing 472 cases are directly linked to acts of vandalism, theft of energy equipment, and damage inflicted upon energy infrastructure. Similarly, there have been a total of 320 incidents involving unauthorized connections and fraudulent consumption of electricity, resulting in the arrest of 33 individuals for encroaching upon wayleaves.