City hall protests power disconnection by Kenya Power over sh.990m bill

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City hall officials are facing arrest over the garbage menace in Nairobi PHOTO: COURTESY.

Nairobi, KENYA: The county government of Nairobi has protested the move by Kenya Power to disconnect power to its premises halting operations following alleged series of debts.

In a media briefing in Nairobi on Thursday, county secretary Peter Kariuki said that  Kenya Power disconnected power which has affected city hall annex operations on grounds that the county owes the company sh. 990 million.

But Kariuki protested that the move by KP was insincere following the fact that there was a joint task force which was formed to ascertain the exact level of indebtedness.

“We, therefore, think that it was in bad faith for KPLC to disconnect supply when this task force was about to conclude its work and make recommendations,” Kariuki said.

It is alleged that Nairobi county government owes KP sh. 990 million which county disputed in court to be sh. 543 million for electricity consumption while KP owes the county government sh. 806 million.

They want KP to await the joint task force report before undertaking such action which Kariuki said that it might sabotage the development of their differences.

The county government indicates that even though the county officials have been seeking an amicable solution to the matter, KP has been adamant that the county government must commit to paying first before talks on the matter commences.

Kariuki pointed that as a way of reaching a truce on Wednesday the county government paid sh. 15 million in a bid to sort their differences.

Meanwhile, Kenya Power through a statement to newsrooms has said the accrued bills relate to power supplied to various premises and installations through more than 5,500 accounts that belong to the Nairobi City County Government.

According to them, The Nairobi City County Government has for several years been indebted to Kenya Power and has consistently failed to repay, despite various meetings and agreements between the two parties.

“On 16th May 2018, the High Court dismissed a case filed by the Nairobi City County Government against Kenya Power over a Sh.543 million bill that the City Hall was disputing and that had accumulated for a period up to September 2016. An injunction that had previously been issued by the court preventing Kenya Power from collecting the owed amount was lifted. The High Court affirmed the legality of the debt and allowed Kenya Power to enforce the collection of the owed amount. The City-County Government has also accrued an additional bill of Shs.447 million between 1st September 2016 to 31st April 2018.” read the statement.

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