- Members of the Kenyan Parliament have initiated a move to break the monopoly held by Kenya Power and Lighting Company.
- The committee intends to remove barriers hindering other firms from selling meters directly to consumers.
Members of the Kenyan Parliament have initiated a move to break the monopoly held by Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) over the sale of electricity meters. This initiative is part of a larger effort to address delays in connecting thousands of Kenyan households to the national power grid.
The National Assembly Energy Committee announced plans to develop a Bill that would introduce more licensed entities authorised to sell electricity meters. This move seeks to ensure that consumers are not solely reliant on Kenya Power for meter procurement.
Also, the committee intends to remove barriers hindering other firms from selling meters directly to consumers. However, meters sold by alternative vendors will still require coding by Kenya Power and certification by the utility firm’s engineers before installation.
Vincent Musyoka, the chairman of the committee, highlighted the potential benefits of this initiative, stating, “We will have shops across the country selling meters to Kenyans, so that you just walk into a shop, buy the meters, and call an authorised Kenya Power engineer to connect the electricity for you without necessarily going to Kenya Power offices.”
He emphasised that this move would boost Kenya Power’s revenue and reduce the waiting time for electricity connections, citing cases where 21,231 Kenyans paid Ksh 966,901,128. Individuals have waited up to 11 years despite making payments.