Kenya Power has reported a 200% increase in vandalism incidents targeting electricity infrastructure over the past three months, with 37 transformers vandalised during the period.
In a statement on Sunday, the company said the latest incident occurred at about 3 am when a transmission tower along the Naivasha-Juja 132kV double-circuit line collapsed after being targeted by vandals.
The collapse disrupted electricity supply through the Ruaraka Substation, affecting customers connected to the network.
Kenya Power said its teams immediately rerouted electricity through alternative substations, restoring supply to all affected customers by 4:30am.
“Items recovered at the scene indicate that the vandals were present when the tower collapsed,” the company said.
Its security team and police are investigating the incident, while transmission and Airmobile teams have started restoration work on the damaged infrastructure.
Kenya Power condemned the vandalism, warning that attacks on electricity infrastructure threaten public safety, disrupt supply and cause substantial financial losses.
“Vandalism has become one of the biggest threats to the reliability and sustainability of our electricity network,” the company said.
It said the increase in incidents over the past three months had highlighted the need for stronger and coordinated measures to protect critical electricity infrastructure and investments in the power network.
The company did not give a breakdown of the 37 transformers vandalised, but said the incidents were part of a wider increase in attacks on electricity installations.
Kenya Power urged customers and members of the public to help protect infrastructure serving their communities by reporting suspicious activities around power installations.
It asked the public to report such activities to the nearest police station or directly to Kenya Power.
“Protecting electricity infrastructure is a shared responsibility,” the company said.
The utility said the latest incident had demonstrated the potential impact of vandalism on electricity supply, even as it moved to restore and secure the damaged transmission infrastructure.
The Naivasha-Juja 132kV double-circuit line forms part of the transmission network used to move electricity between substations and supply customers.
Kenya Power said its teams would continue restoration works while investigations into the circumstances surrounding the tower collapse were ongoing.
The company has previously warned that vandalism of power infrastructure can lead to prolonged outages, damage equipment and expose members of the public to serious safety risks.
It is now calling for stronger cooperation between security agencies, communities and electricity consumers to help identify and prevent attacks on critical power installations.