Nairobi: Nairobi residents have been cautioned against illegal power connections in their premises and residences, which are being attributed as the cause of frequent fires in the informal settlements in the county. The Nairobi County Commissioner, David Wanyonyi, emphasized the urgent need to address the illegal connection of power in these areas to deter cartels benefiting from the illegal connection business, which are not billed by Kenya Power and Lighting Company.
According to Kenya News Agency, Wanyonyi noted that 99.9 percent of fires occurring in the county are not accidental but are due to illegal connections. He called on Kenya Power and Lighting Company to provide a roadmap for eradicating these illegal connections. Wanyonyi stated that the connections are often made with substandard cables, leading to people stumbling on live wires and sustaining injuries.
The County Commissioner made these remarks during the Nairobi National Government Development Regional and County Implementation Coordination and Management Oversight Committee meeting. This meeting was held at the Regional Commissioner's boardroom at Nyayo House and attended by Regional and County Heads.
During the meeting, Eng. Isaiah Odhiambo from Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) informed the committee about the progress of the rehabilitation and capacity enhancement of the James Gichuru Junction-Rironi 25.3 km highway road. The overall progress is currently at 78 percent, while the works on the Kangemi bridge are at 60 percent completion.
Eng. Odhiambo mentioned that the works are expected to be completed by 26th November 2026. The contractor, China Wu Yi Company Ltd, will also work on the 38 km service road, feeder and collector roads of 17.5 km, a total of 10 interchanges, three railway overpass bridges, six vehicular underpasses, and five pedestrian underpasses. He highlighted the encroachment by traders and hawkers on the road as a challenge slowing down construction works and called for their removal to avoid disruptions on the site.