Nairobi County reneged on a boardroom deal with Kenya Power to clear a Sh3 billion electricity bill, before escalation of the matter saw the devolved unit dump garbage at Stima Plaza and clamp vehicles owned by the electricity distributor.
Stima Plaza is the headquarters of Kenya Power and is situated along Kolobot Road, Parklands.
Correspondence seen by this publication shows that Johnson Sakaja’s administration had agreed to pay Sh110 million every month to clear the bill, but only paid Sh36 million in November.
Kenya Power switched off electricity to City Hall on Sunday in a bid to push for resumption of the payments, but the county dumped garbage at Stima Plaza and clamped Kenya Power vehicles in retaliation.
The two entities are caught in a tussle over debt, with Kenya Power pushing to recover Sh3.01 billion which has accumulated since 2013. The county is also demanding Sh5.13 billion from Kenya Power as wayleave fees.
“Happy New Year your Excellency, my team informs me that they are quite frustrated due to the fact that only one payment of Sh36 Million was made and nothing else has been forthcoming. Additionally, they are unable to reach your team,” Joseph Siror, CEO of Kenya Power wrote to Mr Sakaja on February 10, 2025.
Raw sewage outside Kenya Power offices in Nairobi CBD as feud with City Hall enters second day
“I am told your team has disconnected our water supply and blocked our sewer lines. Kindly assist to have them corrected.”
Kenya Power restored power at City Hall and the other county buildings last week but the Sakaja-led administration has not removed its garbage trucks from Stima Plaza. It has also not unclamped Kenya Power vehicles that it had immobilised.
The electricity distributor was from Monday forced to park its trucks at the entrance of Stima Plaza to prevent the county trucks from dumping more garbage. Kenya Power staff have also been forced to work from home because of the blocked entrance and foul smell from the filth.
City Hall also cut off water supply to Electricity House, which is located in Nairobi’s Central Business District.
The county had in November slapped Kenya Power with a Sh5.6 billion bill for wayleave fees that it says have not been paid since 2013.
The wayleave charges comprise Sh4,838,400,000 for the period from 2016 to 2023 and Sh806,400,000 for last year.
City Hall wrote to Kenya Power in December last year, demanding settlement of the debt which has accrued from 2016 for the 4,032 kilometres of wayleave accorded to run its power lines.
But Kenya Power has refuted the wayleave charges given that they are not anchored in the Energy Act, 2019.
