Nairobi,KENYA:Energy and petroleum cabinet secretary Charles Keter has refuted reports that the Kenya power and lightning company, KPLC was backdating power bills to recover fuel costs not billed last year hence the increase in electricity prices.
In a media briefing in his office in Nairobi , on Monday,Keter said that such assertions are untrue indicating that any changes witnessed were upgrading of the billing system by the corporation.
He also indicated that there is no back dating of electricity bills for customers neither is there change in tariffs.
“What we are facing is billing fluctuation, following an upgrade, in billing systems by KPLC, which is being resolved on case to case basis.”Keter said
He said that such move will avert the estimates that have been affecting 2.4 million KPLC customers who are in an analogue platform.
He pointed that following the fact that the total number of KPLC customers has hit 6.4 million ,the government’s plan to upgrade the 2.4 million customers services to digital will help in stabilizing prices as well as permitting customers to upload their meter readings on an application.
“The new billing system also allows consumer to self read their meter and upload the readings on an app on their phone hence enhance billing accuracy.”He said
He pointed that fluctuation of international fuel prices in any way has not affected the increase of electricity prices in the country.
The media reports prompted Lawyer Apollo Mboya who was acting on behalf of disgruntled consumers to write to the competition authority of Kenya complaining over monopoly tendencies by the corporation.
