A public firm where President Uhuru’s mother, Mama Ngina owns 2.2 million shares—Kenya Power and Lighting Company has billed Kenya National Highway Authority(KeNHA) Sh1.08Biliion in the power line changes to pave way for the most expensive road in the whole world-Nairobi Expressway.
The documents at Capital Markets Authority shows that Mama Ngina owns 0.11 per cent stake in KPLC whose ownership is dominated by institutional investors like the Treasury and National Social Security Fund (NSSF).
Kenya Power will spend Sh1.08 billion to relocate its electricity lines along the section between Mlolongo on Mombasa road and James Gichuru road to pave the way for-set up of the Nairobi Expressway.
“We’ll spend about Sh1 billion to relocate the lines and allow for the construction of the Expressway. The progress is good and we are optimistic it will be done before the end of November as per the deadline,” Kenya Power board of directors chair Mahboub Maalim said when he visited a section of the highway where the relocation exercise is already underway
In a project planned to end by before December, KPLC is says it will spend at least Sh10 million for every kilometre of power line moved along the 27.1 kilometre stretch.
The firm has a combined 106 kilometres of high voltage (66kV), medium voltage (11kV), and low voltage cables between the affected area.
The bill, which will be footed by the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), will also entail relocation of 28 transformers serving the area.
On Thursday, Kenya Power Managing Director Bernard Ngugi said the utility firm had already relocated 17 kilometres of its power lines as part of the three-month exercise that will see 40.6 kilometres of the network buried to minimise interferences.
“Some of our customers within the estates along the expressway corridor will experience interruptions in power supply. However, the company is planning to minimise power interruptions by leveraging the live line maintenance technology, which relocates most of the lines without switching off supply,” Mr Ngugi said.
We have to note that KPLC has already put underground cables close to 600 kilometres of its network in Nairobi and other major towns as part of a Sh13 billion plan for Nairobi network improvement.
KenHA is expected to oversee the construction of the Sh59 billion double-decker expressway by China Roads and Bridges Corporation and later find a private firm to operate the road and charge motorists for 27 years.
