More than 20 Kenya Power staff sacked over fraud

Kenya Power has sacked more than 20 employees following an internal audit on corrupt tender dealings, Managing Director Ken Tarus has confirmed.

The action follows findings of an audit commissioned by Mr Tarus concerning the awarding of tenders and contracts at the corporation.

Reports indicate that some employees, through nepotism and kickbacks, have been giving tenders to questionable firms.

Mr Tarus on Saturday said that "more details will be revealed on Monday".

POWER BILLS

That aside, the electricity distributor has been on the receiving end of severe criticism from Kenyans regarding the ballooning of power bills and generation of tokens.

Early this month, the Public Investments Committee asked Auditor-General Edward Ouko to assess the system used by Kenya Power to generate tokens for prepaid electricity consumers.

"One of the issues that we are going to be requesting at the special audit is how this whole thing was tendered, to look at the details of those companies, whether they are qualified to offer those services and the financial services," Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir, who chairs the committee, said.

COMPLAINTS

The Kenya Electrical Trades and Allied Workers Union General Secretary Ernest Nadome said interference with the new Integrated Consumer Management System (ICMS) is to blame for the metering complaints raised by consumers.

“There is deliberate meddling with the new ICMS, which has failed Kenyans.

"Not because of lazy workers who are not doing actual reading as claimed by Energy Cabinet Secretary Charles Keter. There are people within the ministry and Kenya Power who are behind this and citizens must know,” he said in a briefing on May 4.