Kenya Power has reported a decrease of 11,844 customers in the North and Central Rift Valley regions for the year ending June 2023. This region was the sole area experiencing a decline in clientele, even as disconnections were heightened to address defaults on electricity bills.
Despite an overall 3.3% growth in its customer base, totaling 9.2 million customers during the period, the power distributor encountered challenges in retaining customers in the North Rift and Central Rift areas. The company successfully attracted thousands of new customers in various other regions, including Nairobi, Coast, West Kenya, South Nyanza, Mt Kenya, and North Eastern.
The utility’s efforts to collect debts from customers who consume electricity but refuse to pay have led to the enlistment of debt collectors to pursue defaulters. This issue is expected to exacerbate with the approval of a new three-year tariff by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) in April, resulting in power price increases of up to 63.0% for certain customer categories. This adds financial strain to households already grappling with a high cost of living.
Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu expressed concern over Kenya Power’s unpaid electricity bills, estimating a risk of losing KES 1.8 billion. This amount is owed by 729,732 customers who were billed during the Financial Year 2022/23 but have yet to settle their bills.
Despite these challenges, Kenya Power is preparing to connect an additional 280,000 customers to the national grid in the fourth phase of the Last Mile Connectivity Programme. Valued at KES 28.0 billion, the project is financed by the European Union, the European Investment Bank, and the French Development Agency. This initiative is part of Kenya Power’s ongoing efforts to expand access to electricity throughout the country.
