By Brian Kiplimo
Three individuals, including a serving police officer, have been arrested in connection with the vandalism of underground copper power cables along Mombasa Road near Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi County. The arrest, carried out by the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) in collaboration with security agencies, marks a major breakthrough in the fight against rampant power infrastructure sabotage.
According to a statement released by the National Police Service (NPS) on their official X (formerly Twitter) account, the arrests followed a tip-off received on the morning of June 8, 2025. The KPLC Nairobi area security team quickly responded to the alert, arriving at the scene where approximately ten individuals were found using crude tools to excavate and destroy underground cables.
“Today, June 8, 2025, the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) Nairobi area security team received a tip-off about ongoing vandalism of copper cables along Mombasa Road, near Nyayo Stadium—an area recently affected by similar incidents,” the NPS stated.
While several suspects managed to flee, three individuals were apprehended on-site and are now in police custody. The tools believed to have been used in the vandalism were recovered and will form part of the ongoing investigation.
The incident comes amid a surge in cable vandalism cases in key parts of Nairobi, with the Nyayo Stadium area being identified as a hotspot in recent months. The coordinated arrest operation highlights growing efforts by utility and security agencies to curb the threat, which poses a significant risk to essential services and public safety.
In their statement, the National Police Service emphasized the critical role the public played in facilitating the arrests through timely reporting and urged Kenyans to remain alert.
“We will not tolerate acts that endanger the lives and livelihoods of Kenyans. Vandalism of public infrastructure is a serious offense, and we urge the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the nearest police station.”
The NPS reiterated that tampering with power infrastructure not only causes massive service disruptions to homes, businesses, and institutions but also endangers lives, particularly when high-voltage cables are involved.
KPLC has previously decried the high cost of repairing vandalized power lines, which runs into hundreds of millions of shillings annually. In response, the utility has stepped up surveillance and community engagement efforts to prevent future incidents.
This latest arrest sends a strong message to would-be vandals that security forces are on high alert and working hand-in-hand with citizens to protect Kenya’s critical infrastructure.
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