- Investigators in Kakamega are on top of a probe into a tragic incident in which a young man died on top of an electric pole supporting live lines
- The residents of the Shitaho area woke up to the scene on Friday morning, May 20, when they spotted the deceased’s body hanging from atop the pole
- Technicians from Kenya Power showed up at the scene and recovered the body, which was ferried to the Kakamega County General Teaching and Referral Hospital
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Police are investigating an incident in which a young man died after an electric trauma in the Shitaho area, Lurambi subcounty.
The deceased climbed a twin-pole spot in what a preliminary probe suggested was an attempted theft of power lines and other infrastructure.
How Kenya Power technicians recovered young man’s body
A video showed two Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) technicians undertaking the electrical rescue of the man’s lifeless body, which got stuck atop one of the poles in his botched theft.
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The emergency response team from the Kakamega county government was also on site to aid in the rescue.
He died on the spot after the electric shock.
Visibly using safe extraction techniques, the technicians detached the body from the shock spot and lowered it down the pole, and later picked up by the police, who took it to the Kakamega County General Teaching and Referral Hospital as they intensified their investigations.
The tragic incident sparked mixed reactions among the onlookers, with some laying the blame on the government for unemployment that they claimed pushed the youth to such hazardous ventures.
“We are asking the president to provide employment for the youth and women to prevent us from doing such things. We are dying because of anger. It is sad and painful that the young man died while looking for a living because he was jobless,” one of them said.
Others claimed the deceased might have been part of a racket that had been going around the area, allegedly stealing floodlights and other Kenya Power materials.
Video; courtesy
As earlier reported by TUKO.co.ke, vandalism or theft of Kenya Power property is a criminal offence.
Vandals often target the country’s utility firm installations, selling materials at low prices to scrap metal dealers.
How Uhuru Kenyatta dealt with vandalism of KPLC property
To combat the rising cases of vandalism and curb the thriving illegal scrap metal trade, in the tail end of his final tenure in office, former president Uhuru Kenyatta imposed an immediate ban on scrap metal sales.
In January 2022, Uhuru announced the directive, citing an alarming increase in vandalism and economic sabotage, which he condemned as acts of treason.
Uhuru also stressed that his administration would implement policies to prevent the use of materials obtained from vandalised installations and infrastructure funded by the taxpayer.
In line with Uhuru’s directives, the Interior Cabinet Secretary at that time, Fred Matiang’i, sanctioned the classification of Kenya Power’s infrastructure as critical national assets.
He published an official gazette notice to that effect.
Consequently, Critical Infrastructure Protection Unit (CIPU) officers were deployed to provide continuous surveillance and secure Kenya Power’s facilities and installations.
To guard the utility firm’s assets, the courts have been heavily punishing those found guilty of vandalising or stealing the company’s property.
Why Kitale court fined man KSh 10.2m
In April, a Kitale court sentenced a man to six years in prison with an alternative of a KSh 10.2 million fine after being convicted of vandalism and theft of Kenya Power property.
George Odiyo appeared before the Kitale Law Courts, where he pleaded guilty to charges related to the destruction and theft of energy equipment.
The state prosecution opposed leniency, citing his repeated involvement in such crimes.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
