Kenyans protesting against Kenya Power in the CBD were on Thursday teargassed.
The group, carrying ‘Switch off KPLC’ banners marched to Uhuru Park as they demonstrated against what they termed theft by the power firm.
They said they want energy cartels arrested to make room for affordable, accessible and sustainable electricity for every single Kenyan.
The Switch off KPLC group first encountered the police as they made their way from Nyayo House towards City Hall where teargas was used to disperse them.
They sought refuge at various shops in the CBD but after a few minutes continued with the protest as they made their way towards the Supreme Court.
Another scuffle occurred when one of the group leaders, Bradely Ouna, was arrested outside the Supreme Court’s main gate by plain clothes police.
However, he was released after the intervention of Central Police Station OCS.
"We must stop impunity and corrupt officials at Kenya Power must go. We are here to protest because there is theft happening at the Kenya Power , they are giving us additional bills ," he said.
"Today we are pleading with President Uhuru Kenyatta to make sure he raids Kenya Power and make sure that money stolen from us is returned. We want to tell the President that corruption and theft is not only at the Treasury bust also at Kenya Power."
They accused the police of using excessive force on them yet the group claimed they had given them a notification on their planned protest.
"We have a right to hold peaceful demonstrations and I don’t see why the police had to use teargas on us, yet we are not interrupting any business," a protester said.
The group through their leader Ouna, vowed to continue with the protest until new management is put in place at Kenya Power.
While appearing before the Senate Committee on Energy on Wednesday, Kenya Power Acting Managing Director Jared Othieno said that about 3,500 consumers had colluded with Kenya Power staff to steal Sh35.3 million worth of prepaid tokens generated illegally from the firm.
He also said that the firm dismissed 13 of its employees who were implicated in the illegal sale of the tokens .
Othieno further said that there will not be compensation to any consumer found to have colluded with the staff to steal the tokens on diverse dates between January 2018 and February 2018.
Last month, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) had summoned around 200 Kenya Power customers over irregular postpaid billing and ordered them to report at the headquarters on diverse dates between July 1 and July 30 of this month.
Some of the entities which were summoned include Kenya National Mills in Nairobi and Safaricom Investments Cooperative Society Limited in Nairobi, Seventh Day Adventist in South Nyanza, and Uchumi Supermarkets and Moi University Campus from North Rift.
