Kenya Power has appealed to the government to implement a total ban on copper exports in a bid to stop the rampant cases of infrastructure vandalism plaguing the nation, particularly targeting essential utilities such as power transformers.
Joseph Siror, the managing director, scrap metal dealers should also be directed to declare the orgins of their materials, especially for copper and aluminium, with continuous scrutiny and vetting of all individuals involved in the scrap metal trade.
“There should also be joint inspections of business premises to ensure compliance with the law and filing of returns by dealers as per the Scrap Metal Act and Scrap Metal regulations,” Mr Siror said in Nairobi on Wednesday.
He was addressing a gathering of scrap dealers at a business forum, highlighting the need for a strong regulatory framework within the scrap metal trade to eradicate rogue traders who directly profit from acts of vandalism.
“In 2024, we have so far had 78 transformers vandalised, worth Sh78 million. The loss constitutes only the cost of installing a new transformer,”said Siror.
Kenya Power lost 365 transformers worth Sh328 million in 2023, in a year when Kenya exported copper waste and scrap worth Sh6.7 billion, yet it does not produce the same.
According to Paul Nyaga, Head of Security at Kenya Power, Kiambu, Embu, Machakos, Kajiado, Muranga, and specific zones within Mombasa, notably Changamwe and Miritini, are hotspots for vandalism.
“There is ready market for copper and aluminum in the export markets which is encouraging the trend,” Mr Nyaga said, adding that Kenya Power is implementing measures to combat vandals.
China and India have been identified as the primary destinations for the materials, with black market prices going as high as Sh1,700 per kilogram for copper.
Tanzania serves as a significant conduit for accessing the international markets.
Although regulation and oversight are carried out by the Scrap Metal Council, a state agency under the State Department for Industry, rogue dealers continue to target key installations.
For example, in January 2022, vandals descended on the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway, stealing metals valued at millions of shillings, prompting President Uhuru Kenyatta to ban the scrap metal trade.
President Uhuru also ordered police to arrest and press treason charges against individuals found vandalising national infrastructure projects.
Kenya Power says it reported zero cases of vandalism between January and May of that year, when the ban was lifted following the enactment of new guidelines to regulate the sector.
“Immediately after the moratorium was lifted, we saw a serious spike, with 76 transformers worth Sh68 million vandalised between May and December 2022. Adding the cost of vandalised copper windings, braces, meters, among others, the loss was even higher,” Mr Siror said.
