- The area targeted stretches from Rabai Thermal Power at Kipevu, Mikindani, Jomvu, Miritini, Bangladesh and Kaa Chonjo in Tudor.
- However, human rights organisation Haki Yetu has called for dialogue between the company and affected residents to find an amicable solution to the situation.
Over 500 families living along power lines in Mombasa are facing eviction.
The area targeted stretches from Rabai Thermal Power at Kipevu, Mikindani, Jomvu, Miritini, Bangladesh to Kaa Chonjo in Tudor.
Kenya Power has issued them with a seven-day notice to move out and remove their structures from the wayleaves corridor.
In a letter dated February 10, Kenya Power gave the residents who had encroached onto the land until Thursday (February 17) to move out.
The company stated that apart from interfering with its operations and maintenance of the power line, the structures are also posing a danger to people and property.
“In order to rectify this situation, members of the public who have structures under, near or within the wayleaves corridor are hereby given seven days’ notice to remove the same.
“Failure to comply shall leave Kenya Power with the options of recovering of electric power supply from your premises and demolition of the encroaching structure to ensure public safety,” reads the notice.
Kenya Power will also relocate the power line away from the buildings at the owners cost and fresh wayleaves made available for the repositioning of the line.
The notice further warned that any accident or incidence occurring as a result of continued encroachment into the power line will solely be attributed to the property owners’ interference.
“We may also take appropriate legal action against you (property owner),” Kenya Power said.
However, human rights organisation Haki Yetu has called for dialogue between the company and affected residents to find an amicable solution to the situation.
The organisation’s communication officer John Bosco said they were not opposed to people being moved for safety concerns, but the matter should be done in a humane way.
“Yes we understand that there is a need to focus on the safety of people, but it is important to consider that this is an examination period and there is an election coming up.
"People will be highly affected, there is a need for engagement and more time for relocation,” he said.
He added that they have been engaging Kenya Power since 2017 on the matter of coming up with a relocation action plan first.
The officer said they need to find out how many people are going to be affected and how best they can be moved out.
He said some people were to be relocated to Jomvu, but the matter never materialised as the land they were to occupy was private land.
“This was to be a collaborative approach to amicably resolve the matter rather than the forceful evictions we are about to witness. Where did the Jomvu land go, it could have helped to resolve the matter partly,” he said.
Bosco further questioned why the power company had issued a seven-day notice yet the government through the Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i had issued a 30-day notice.
On January 27, CS Matiang’i issued the 30-day notice where energy sector parastatals and security teams were expected to conduct joint engagements and operations to evict power lines encroachers.
The exercise aims to clear power wayleaves in the country.
The directive was as a result of a nationwide power blackout that hit the country on January 11.
Two power towers supporting high-voltage power lines linking Nairobi to the Kiambere Hydroelectric Dam collapsed due to vandalism.
As a result, President Uhuru Kenyatta banned exports and dealings in scrap metal until proper guidelines are put in place to regulate the sector.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)