The dramatic standoff between the Nairobi County Government and Kenya Power has led to the interdiction of two county officials and the arrest of three employees following an embarrassing dumping incident at Stima Plaza, the headquarters of Kenya Power.
Appearing before the Departmental Committee on Administration and National Security on Monday, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja revealed that Acting Assistant Director for Debt Management James Sankale and Acting Director for Revenue Administration John Ntoiti had been interdicted for their roles in the incident. The melee, widely perceived as a tipping point in the tensions between Kenya Power and the county government, led to swift action from Sakaja’s administration.
Governor Sakaja apologized for the act, calling it “uncouth and primitive” while assuring the committee that immediate corrective measures were undertaken. He noted that the garbage truck responsible for the dumping was cleared within an hour, and a thorough cleanup and fumigation exercise was conducted at Stima Plaza.
“It is a very unfortunate situation that has us here. The dumping incident was completely wrong and not something that governments should do,” said Sakaja. “On behalf of the staff, I apologise to the people of Kenya. It will never happen under my watch.”
The dispute stemmed from long-standing financial disagreements. Kenya Power reportedly owes Nairobi County Ksh.4.9 billion in unpaid wayleave fees, while the county government has unpaid electricity bills. The conflict escalated last month when Kenya Power disconnected electricity to several county facilities. In retaliation, county officials cut off the water supply to Stima Plaza and even parked garbage trucks outside the premises to prevent access.
Following the standoff, high-level discussions involving officials from Kenya Power, Nairobi County, the Energy Ministry, and the Head of Public Service were held at City Hall to resolve the impasse.
Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja has since directed the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to probe the matter. Three employees, Augustine Otieno, Moses Gitari, and Alice Okare, were arrested and charged with sabotage, robbery with violence, and illegal waste disposal. Meanwhile, two Kenya Power staff members who had been briefly detained were released without charges.
As the dust settles, the county government and Kenya Power are working to resolve their financial disputes amicably to prevent future confrontations of this nature.
