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{
    "id": 822468,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/822468/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 19,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
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    "content": "wooden poles are well-enumerated and include the fact that they are environmentally friendly. Using wooden poles also encourages tree-planting hence increasing vegetation and a wide percentage of small-scale farmers benefit from the practice. Currently, there are people with mature trees suitable for electricity poles but lack market as cartels have already oversupplied Kenya Power with concrete poles. Mr. Speaker, Sir, sometimes back between last September, 2017, and January, 2018, Kenya Power is alleged to have undergone a system upgrade to improve service delivery to the common mwananchi . The only thing that emanated from the system upgrade was unexplainable high bills. During the five months, power consumers did not receive their actual bills but rather only received estimates. When one checked with the Billing Department, he or she would be advised to record the readings from their metre and take them to the Kenya Power Office to be given their actual bills. This is the highest form of unprofessionalism and incompetence, especially considering the fact that there is a monthly fixed charge to cater for such services charges and employees whose only work is metre reading. At the end of the period, Kenyans were slapped with huge bills with no option but to pay because of the monopoly of Kenya Power. Poor services from Kenya Power is obvious for anyone connected to electricity in the country; from frequent power blackouts to poor customer services; long waits for correction of power problems and rude and corrupt personnel. Replacing a defective transformer usually takes Kenya Power a minimum of two weeks in urban centres while in remote areas up to even a month. Frequent power surges experiences have destroyed electronic household appliances and business machines and even when the company is bound to repair or replace such appliances, compensation is never forthcoming. At the height of the recent system upgrade at the utility firm, a lawyer requested affected clients to send him emails and tweets with complaints and within 24 hours the emails were in excess of 600. This is a clear indication of the magnitude of suffering Kenyans who are forced to endure the process of getting electricity from a public owned enterprise. The Last Mile Connectivity Programme is one of the most important electricity connection projects to be implemented in Kenya since Independence. Through the four- phased programme, the Government of Kenya targeted to increase electricity connection from 40 per cent in April, 2016, to 70 per cent of the total households in the country by April, 2017, and universal access by 2020. Official Kenya Power records show that by the end of the first phase, 314,200 were connected. This is commendable. However, the target is still far from being achieved and it might be derailed further if it is actually true that this programme has been hijacked by cartels. The Government should double its efforts in order to meet its projected targets, considering the second phase commenced late and up to now they have only managed to connect 22 per cent of the total targeted households. This programme must succeed in order for the country and the general public to get value for money on the loan financing it. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}