Kenya Power has turned to the Council of Governors (CoG) to mediate disputes over electricity bills with 10 county governments, following a strained relationship with Nairobi City County that erupted into public clashes last year.
The utility is seeking a coordinated resolution rather than engaging directly with governors amid disagreements on the amounts owed.
Documents from the devolved units show the 10 counties recognize debts totaling Sh1.5 billion, while Kenya Power’s records indicate they owe Sh3.9 billion. Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu revealed that Nairobi City County alone accounted for 95.5 percent of the disputed bills.
“Review of data obtained from sampled county governments revealed variances in amounts owed by 10 county governments totaling Sh2,363,985,447,” Gathungu said.
The audit found that while Nairobi City County’s accounts indicated a liability of Sh1.346 billion as of June 2025, Kenya Power’s records put the figure at Sh3.6 billion, creating a gap of Sh2.258 billion. Migori County also had a notable discrepancy of Sh34.58 million, with Kenya Power reporting Sh54.5 million owed compared to the county’s Sh19.95 million.
Other counties with differences in their records include Homa Bay (Sh19.35 million), Kirinyaga (Sh14.2 million), Kakamega (Sh12.6 million), Isiolo (Sh12.5 million), Embu (Sh7.6 million), Bungoma (Sh3.6 million), Laikipia (Sh1.1 million), and Samburu (Sh55,525).
New reports indicate Kenya Power is working with the CoG to bridge these gaps.
“Management subsequently provided additional information, including billing records, joint verifications between the company and affected county governments, and an ongoing collaboration with the CoG towards addressing the matter,” Gathungu added.
The tensions between Kenya Power and City Hall previously escalated when Governor Johnson Sakaja’s administration dumped garbage at the utility’s headquarters in Ngara, Nairobi, in protest over the disputed bills.
The Sh3.9 billion highlighted in the audit represents only a portion of Kenya Power’s total outstanding claims, which stand at Sh39 billion across various customer categories, the Auditor-General noted.
