Naivasha businessman, 13 others arrested while protesting over Sh 3.4 million electricity bill
14 people have been arrested while protesting over an electricity bill apportioned to Naivasha businessman by the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC).
Simon Kanungira a Naivasha based businessman had mobilized his workers to stage protests at the KPLC offices in Naivasha to express his frustration while running his hotel business following the disconnection of power supply seven months ago.
Naivasha Sub-County Police Commander Wilson Sigei who confirmed the arrest said police officers were deployed after receiving information that a group was demonstrating against KPLC within the town.
“14 people were arrested and could face charges including unlawful demonstration, malicious damage to property and obstruction of other businesses, subject to investigations,” Sigei said
Kanungira who spoke to Mtaa Wangu said he took his grievances to the company's offices seeking clarity over the bill while maintaining his willingness to pay the Sh 3.4 million the firm claims be owed.
“After the power disconnection, I resorted to solar power connection. I travelled to China and came back and installed my own plant to support my business. They don't know that I use solar. Again, they told me I have Sh 70,000 arrears. So what has Kenya Power become? Sabotage in business, you have to go through Kenya Power. This is really disheartening,” he said.
His account, however, differs from that of KPLC, which maintains that the amount arose from irregular electricity consumption detected during an inspection at his premises.
Speaking to Mtaa Wangu on a phone call interview, Central Rift Regional Manager Daniel Kipkoech said the company discovered irregular consumption on January 15, 2026, during a routine inspection.
Kipkoech said KPLC notified the customer of its findings before inviting him and his lawyers for a meeting on January 22. The company subsequently appointed an independent team to conduct a second inspection, which he said confirmed the initial findings.
According to Kipkoech, the team identified a cable allegedly used to bypass the normal electricity supply system, findings he said pointed to ‘electricity theft’.
He further claimed that Kanungira acknowledged the irregularities in a written commitment witnessed by his lawyers and two Members of the County Assembly (MCAs).
Kipkoech said the Sh3.4 million was calculated as a recovery charge for electricity allegedly consumed irregularly and not an ordinary electricity bill.
He added that the company restored supply following the January meeting and expected the businessman to return with a payment plan. However, he said Kanungira did not return to agree on a payment arrangement before resorting to demonstrations.
“The protest was prompted by outages or inaccurate billing. The company had documentation and photographs supporting its findings on illegal power consumption by the customer,” The regional manager noted.