Written By Gerald Gekara | |
Engineers have chastised the government for detaining ten Kenya Power employees over the nationwide blackout.
Ten Kenya Power personnel were arrested after being summoned to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters in Nairobi last week.
The ten officials were detained as part of an ongoing investigation into allegations of sabotage of the country’s energy supply, which was disrupted across the country.
The Institute of Engineers of Kenya (IEK), speaking at a press conference in Nairobi Wednesday, said the arrests were made without due process.
IEK President Nathaniel Matalanga also praised President Uhuru Kenyatta for prohibiting the export of scrap metal, and asked Kenya Power to implement contingency plans and early warning systems to prevent such incidents.
“Kenya Power should also look into internal factors such as shortage of rapid restoration towers, low maintenance budgets, non-replacement of retired staff, low staff morale…” said Matalanga.
The statewide blackout was blamed on vandalism of six towers along the Olkaria-Kisumu power line in Naivasha on Tuesday, as well as the Kiambere-Embakasi line near Imara Daima.
On Wednesday, a Kiambu court granted police permission to keep the suspects in custody for another eight days as they conduct their investigations.
Email: uzalendonews24@gmail.com to submit your story.
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL
