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Nairobi County, KPLC must settle their row maturely

Nairobi County, KPLC must settle their row maturely
Kenya Power. PHOTO/Print

In a display of pettiness that would make even the most seasoned playground bullies blush, the Nairobi County government and Kenya Power have turned their financial feud into a public spectacle.

The county, apparently used to guerrilla warfare tactics, decided to dump heaps of garbage at the entrance of the utility’s Stima Plaza headquarters in Nairobi and clamped company vehicles, all because the company had the audacity to disconnect power over a Sh3.1 billion unpaid bill.

By blocking sewer lines and cutting off water supply to Kenya Power offices, the county government effectively declared a prank war, disregarding the inconvenience caused to residents of the capital city and taxpayers visiting the Nairobi Securities Exchange-listed firm.

One cannot help but wonder, what is next? Will the county respond by filling Kenya Power’s transformers with sewage? This absurd game of one-upmanship not only disrupts essential services but also erodes public trust in public institutions.

The irony is palpable. A government entity resorting to dumping garbage – quite literally airing its dirty laundry – at the doorstep of a public utility, all in the name of debt collection. The county government must stop borrowing tactics from the mob’s playbook: “Pay up, or we’ll trash your front yard.”

As it happens, this isn’t the first time these two entities have danced in this dysfunctional Russian roulette. Past disputes have seen similar theatrics, with garbage trucks and power cuts being wielded like weapons in a turf war.

It’s true, power bills must be paid. Kenya Power needs that money to pay its employees and upgrade its power-supply equipment. But instead of trying to outdo each other in a contest of who can inconvenience the public more, the two parties should work to resolve the issue through dialogue and negotiation.

It’s high time both Kenya Power and the county government put on their big-boy pants and settled their differences like corporations. Residents of Nairobi deserve better than to be caught in the crossfire of this feud. Perhaps a lesson in conflict resolution is in order – preferably one that doesn’t involve garbage trucks or power outages. Something must give.

In the end, this only serves as a stark reminder of the lengths public institutions will go to settle scores, even if it means turning the city into a battleground. County officials responsible for dumping trash at Stima Plaza must face the full force of the law.

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