The Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Mohamed Amin, has urged the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) to reconsider its approach to dealing with unpaid electricity bills from government institutions.

Speaking before the Parliamentary Committee on Administration and Internal Security at County Hall, Amin warned that indiscriminate power disconnections could have disastrous consequences, especially for critical services like hospitals and other essential institutions.

“KPLC should reconsider switching off power to government institutions. They once disconnected us—a move we considered ill-advised and totally unnecessary,” said Amin.

Amin emphasized the importance of dialogue over abrupt power outages, noting that some of the affected institutions provide critical services to Kenyans.

“Hospitals and other essential institutions must not be put at risk due to outstanding bills when dialogue can be employed to find amicable solutions.” He said.

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja echoed Amin’s concerns, highlighting that cutting off power to critical institutions can sometimes mean the difference between life and death.

“We have institutions that owe us a lot of money in wayleaves and land rates, but we don’t disconnect their services…Police stations and other government agencies, for instance, owe us close to a billion shillings, yet we have never clamped them. The same approach should be applied by KPLC”, ,” Sakaja stated.