A man is currently in police custody in Thika after he was found in possession of Kenya Power Company equipment and 140 litres of transformer oil.
The arrest took place on the night of Saturday, December 16, 2023 at his residence in Kimuchu village, Thika West sub-county.
The suspect was arrested following a tip-off from vigilant members of the public who noticed suspicious activities at the compound, leading to a police raid.
Thika West Sub-county Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Ms Jacinta Mbaika, told Nairobi News, that a tuktuk used to transport the vandalised equipment was also recovered during the operation.
Ms Mbaika said, “We managed to arrest the suspect who further informed the police that he was only storing the equipment for a friend. He said some of the copper windings had already been removed from the homestead to an unknown location.”
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The DCI boss issued a stern warning to a gang of vandals operating in Thika Town, stressing that their days were numbered. She urged the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to the police.
“I would like to thank the public for alerting us to this particular incident. This is a major breakthrough in dealing with such suspected vandals,” she added.
The incident comes amid ongoing concerns by the Kenya Power Company over rampant vandalism of its properties.
In November, the utility announced a partnership with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to tackle cases of vandalism, power theft and fibre-related crimes.
The collaboration involves 42 officers working closely with Kenya Power’s security team to curb the escalating incidents of infrastructure theft and damage.
The arrest in Thika is seen as a positive step in efforts to combat vandalism and protect critical infrastructure.
