Nation Correspondent

3 September 2010

Nairobi — Kenya Power and Lighting Company has launched a countrywide project to instal prepaid meters.

KPLC managing director Joseph Njoroge said two companies have been awarded tenders to supply the meters.

Mr Njoroge said in the next six months the company aims to instal more than 200,000 meters to its clients countrywide. "We have conducted a pilot project in Nairobi and it has worked.

"That is why we have decided to launch the project countrywide. It will be conducted in two phases, which strive to instal more than 400,000 meters," said Mr Njoroge.

Speaking at Wildwaters Hotel in Mombasa during a function organised to award long service KPLC workers and those who have maintained safety, Mr Njoroge said his company was in the process of rebranding to ensure it satisfies its customers.

"The new pre-paid meters will work in tandem with mobile services, where customers will be able to pay their bills using mobile phones," said Mr Njoroge, adding that with the new meters customers will be able to control their expenditure on power.

At the same time, the managing director said they had come up with strategies to curb the increasing cases of vandalism of their equipment in the country.

He said vandalism had become a major threat to the company and it was installing dry transformers throughout the country. "The company spends billions of shillings every year replacing vandalised transformers and conductors," said Mr Njoroge.

The managing director said the company had also started putting up alternative power points to serve its clients whenever a transformer is vandalised.

"KPLC is automating most of its lines, which will switch to alternative power lines to ensure quality supply to customers is achieved," he said.