Kenya Power Will Not Compensate Consumers of Illegal Tokens

The acting Managing Director of the Kenya Power Jared Othieno, on Wednesday, told the Senate committee on energy that the utility firm will not compensate customers who together with some Kenya Power staff stole tokens from the firm.

The firm reportedly incurred a 35.3-million-shilling loss from the tokens that were illegally generated by its token distributors.

Kenya Power CEO and acting MD told the senate committee that about 3,500 customers were involved in the fraud that cost the firm such loses and the firm, therefore, does not owe them any compensation.

“All the customers affected bought tokens at ridiculously low amounts knowingly from our staff. The money was not channeled to Kenya Power,” said Mr. Othieno.

Mr. Othieno explained to the committee that some complainants had seen the prepaid tokens advertisements on social media at discounted amounts and went ahead to buy the tokens.

“Some of them bought tokens worth 3,000 shillings at 1000 shillings and went ahead to use it in their homes. We went and told them that they had engaged in fraud as the firm did not get any of the money,” he said.

The complaining customers had been directed to record statements with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to say that they indeed colluded with Kenya power staff to steal from the company.

The Senate committee, chaired by Nyeri Senator, Ephraim Maina, however, wanted the Kenya Power CEO to explain why his firm was hesitant to take responsibility and compensate customers who were genuinely buying tokens not knowing it was illegally generated.

“If your staff went out and sold innocent Kenyans illegal tokens, then their actions bind you as a firm. Why then would you punish innocent customers for the actions of the fraudsters?” Asked Moses Wetang’ula, the Senator of Bungoma County.

In response to the Senator’s question, Mr.Othieno said that Kenya Power has hired ICT experts to audit their systems.

The committee accused Kenya Power of constantly subjecting Kenyans to high electricity prices saying that the firm takes advantage since it is a monopoly.

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