Kenya Power officials remove a transformer at Njarange village in Mbeere North constituency in this photo taken on July 6, 2026. Residents say they were not told why it was being removed.
Kenya Power has admitted that 15 transformers were removed from various locations in Mbeere North, Embu County, but insisted that they were removed strictly for maintenance and repairs.
In a statement released to the press, Kenya Power stressed that whenever transformers develop technical faults such as water ingress or other defects that cannot be rectified on site, they are taken to specialised workshops for repairs, testing and controlled heat drying to eliminate moisture and restore their integrity.
Embu County Kenya Power Manager Vincent Okello said these preventive maintenance interventions have significantly reduced transformer failures across the country over the past three years and remain a key component of the company's asset maintenance programme.
In the statement, Mr Okello explained that between May and June this year, a total of fifteen transformers were recovered from the area for routine maintenance.
Kenya Power offices on Aga Khan Walk in Nairobi.
Fourteen have since been repaired and reinstalled, while one transformer, which was vandalised last week, was replaced on Friday.
He claimed that throughout such maintenance activities, the company engages affected customers and keeps them informed.
But residents denied that they were consulted during the removal of the transformers.
"We wish to assure our customers that these maintenance activities are purely technical and are undertaken to ensure safe, reliable and stable electricity supply," the statement said.
However, this writer established that some of the transformers were returned and installed at night after the Nation highlighted the problems Mbeere North residents were facing due to a lack of electricity.
After decades of darkness, the majority of residents in Mbeere North Constituency saw electricity for the first time in 2025.
During the November 27, 2025, Mbeere North Constituency by-election, the government actively installed electricity in the area through the Last Mile Connectivity Project and Sitima Mashinani programme, lighting up the once-neglected villages.
However, the residents' joy was short-lived when KPLC started removing electrical transformers from the area without explanation.
The residents expressed concern that, eight months after receiving electricity, darkness was returning to the area.
They demanded to know where the transformers were being taken.
Removal of transformers
"We want to know where Kenya Power is taking our transformers, leaving us in darkness," resident Faith Kithaka said.
Residents complained that the removal of transformers started a fortnight ago.
"Two weeks ago, I saw KPLC officials remove our transformer and they have not returned it," said Ms Kithaka from Muramba Village.
Residents said the removal of the crucial electrical equipment had severely affected their lives.
They recalled that before electricity was connected to their homes, they relied on candles and lanterns for lighting.
"We were covered by darkness for many years, but the government came to our rescue during the by-election. The Last Mile project was active in many villages, but sadly, before we could fully enjoy the service, the transformers were removed," added Ms Kithaka.
At Njarage Village, the situation was similar. Residents could not access electricity due to the lack of a transformer.
In the village, the Nation team encountered KPLC officials preparing to transport a transformer they had removed as residents watched in disbelief. However, the transformer was returned and reinstalled hours after the Nation highlighted the issue.
At Rwanjeru and Karigiri villages, the transformers were removed and later returned.
"Some people came here in broad daylight and took away our transformer and a few days later they returned it," said Mr Julius Njeru from Rwanjeru.
Affected residents accused the government of punishing them for no reason.
"Our business activities have been disrupted, while our children cannot study at night due to the power disconnection," another resident said.
Residents recalled how government officials and UDA politicians toured the area during the by-election, assuring them they would receive development if they voted for the ruling party's candidate.
"We voted for them and they won the by-election. In return, they connected power to our homes, but after a few months they have taken our joy away. This is inhuman," another resident said.
Some residents suspected that the transformers were being ferried to Ol Kalou, where a by-election is due to be held, to woo voters.
The residents said they felt cheated and threatened to demonstrate against the government if all their transformers were not returned.
"The government only understands the language of demonstrations and it will face our wrath if our demand is not met," another resident said.
Mbeere North MP Leo Wamuthende.
However, area MP Leo Wamuthende denied that the transformers were being removed and taken away permanently.
"I have noted with concern the misleading propaganda being circulated by some individuals claiming that transformers in Mbeere North are being removed by the government. These claims are false, malicious and intended to mislead the public," he said.
He explained that Kenya Power is currently undertaking a maintenance programme on transformers, particularly older units, as part of preventive maintenance aimed at improving the reliability and stability of electricity supply across the constituency.
He stressed that the maintenance exercise is intended to avert frequent power outages that have affected various parts of the country.
"During the process, some transformers may be temporarily removed for servicing before being returned and reinstalled at their respective locations. No transformer is being taken away permanently, nor is any community being denied electricity," he said.
He urged residents to ignore misinformation being spread for political gain.
"Let us allow our technicians to carry out their work without unnecessary interference or politicisation," he said.
Mr Wamuthende assured residents that his office remains committed to ensuring that all electricity projects initiated in the constituency are protected and that residents continue to benefit from improved access to reliable power.
But residents expressed doubts, reminding the MP that some of the transformers are new and do not require repairs.
They urged the MP to be truthful and tell them where the transformers were being taken.
"The transformers have not been vandalised and the question of repair should not arise," another resident said.
Mr Okello dismissed claims that the transformers were deliberately being removed and taken to Ol Kalou.
"KPLC does not operate like that. We don't play politics," he said.
He explained that some of the transformers had been vandalised while others had malfunctioned and were taken to Nairobi for repairs.
Mr Okello said KPLC constantly repairs transformers and the matter should not be politicised.
"Repair of transformers is an exercise that goes on across the country and residents should know that," he said.
He added that some of the transformers had been installed even before the Mbeere North by-election and subsequently required repairs.
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