MPs grill KPLC officials over financial irregularities, stalled projects
Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) found itself in the hot seat on Thursday, July 10, 2025, as Members of Parliament, sitting in the Public Investments Committee (PIC) on Commercial Affairs and Energy, put the utility firm under intense scrutiny over serious financial and governance concerns.
Chaired by Pokot South MP David Pkosing, the committee questioned KPLC’s top management—led by Managing Director and CEO Joseph Siror—over billions of shillings lost through questionable expenditures, stalled projects, and mismanagement in key national electrification initiatives.
Ksh10.2 billion financial irregularities
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At the centre of the grilling was an eye-popping Ksh10.2 billion listed under “Network Management Expenses.”
Of this, a staggering Ksh205.5 million had been recorded as losses from capital projects that have sat dormant for over three years.
“A total of 9,127 projects have stalled across our regional offices since June 2018. The reasons vary from land ownership and wayleave disputes to incomplete customer requirements, but we acknowledge the gravity of the situation,” KPLC CEO Siror admitted during the session.
However, the Committee expressed concern over the wasted potential of the said projects.
“These projects were intended to improve lives, yet they’ve been left to gather dust. Billions of taxpayers’ money is locked up, and there seems to be no urgency to fix it,” Pkosing said.
KPLC internal governance
The Committee also raised eyebrows over the company’s internal governance. While the government had directed parastatal boards to limit their meetings to six per year, KPLC’s board somehow held 90 meetings in one calendar year—nearly one every four days.
Dr. Siror defended the move, citing the company’s need for a turnaround strategy and the onboarding of five new board members in 2020. However, auditors noted that there was no formal budget reallocation to justify the expenses tied to these frequent meetings, calling into question the company’s financial discipline.
The troubled Last Mile Connectivity Project, funded through a Ksh44.8 billion African Development Bank loan, also came under sharp focus. Despite spending 63% of the loaned funds, KPLC had connected only 213,432 households out of a target of over 525,000.
Auditors flagged poor public engagement, duplicated efforts, and critical missing documents—such as feasibility studies and environmental impact reports—as signs of a deeply flawed execution.
Lawmakers were particularly disturbed by a report that prepaid meters worth over Kshs1 billion were delivered faulty, leaving many customers in the dark despite having paid for electricity tokens.
