Three arrested over vandalism of KPLC infrastructure in Juja

Police on Thursday arrested three people suspected of vandalizing Kenya Power equipment worth millions of shillings.

According to a statement by DCI, the detectives raided a scrap metal yard in Matangi area, Juja, where they recovered Kenya Power transformers, rolls of aluminium conductors and assorted materials.

“Following the raid, Johana Thuku and Stephen Githitu were arrested," DCI said.

DCI reported that the third suspect, Patrick King’ori, was arrested later in the evening.

They have further said that the detectives are working hard to arrest the suspects’ accomplices who are still at large.

The arrest comes barely two months after President Uhuru Kenyatta announced a hiatus in the scrap metal trade due to runaway vandalism targeting critical national installations.

The ban came at a time the country had witnessed an increase in the cases of vandalism, mainly on power lines across the country.

Uhuru said that no dealer will be allowed to engage in the business until proper guidelines are put in place to regulate the sector.

“As of today, we will no longer allow, and we have put a moratorium on the export or the buying or selling of any scrap material until we have put in place proper guidelines that will ensure that material is not coming from the hard-won investments that the Kenyan people have made,” he said.