Sh2bn lost yearly in cable cuts

Kenya is losing over Sh2 billion every year to damage of energy, ICT and transport infrastructure, with the government warning that severe penalties are under way to stop the vice.

ICT Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i said the Energy, ICT and Transport ministries are working on bringing down the losses to less than Sh500 million in the next two years.

“These are direct losses incurred through vandalism; indirect losses are even much higher and have not been computed yet,” Mr Matiang’i said at a press briefing at the Bomas of Kenya in Nairobi on Tuesday.

The damage of infrastructure and wayleave charges have kept away investors laying fibre-optic cables.

WORK ON DRAFT BILL

Currently, an inter-ministerial task force under the leadership of the group regulatory director of Airtel Africa, Ms Alice Kariuki, is working on a draft Bill that will harmonise and bring coordinate infrastructure laying.

The team on Tuesday proposed that fibre-optic lines must be recognised like water and electricity.

It further proposed stiffer penalties for convicted cable thieves. They propose to amend the law so that destruction of electricity and power cables is punishable by a fine of Sh100,000, a jail term of three years or both.

Mr Matiang’i said destruction of infrastructure is expensive for maintenance and laying out new ones.

A Bill is up for public discussion and will later be submitted to Parliament for debate.

Other matters under discussion are annual access fees demanded by counties and individuals during the laying of fibre-optic cables. The fee has kept Internet costs high.