A Kenya Power and Lighting Company staff member has been arrested and charged with corruption following allegations of demanding payment from a Vihiga organization that independently replaced a hazardous electricity pole after the utility company failed to take action.
Kennedy Wambani Oduor, based at the KPLC Mbale-Vihiga Office, was apprehended by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission after investigations revealed that he solicited and accepted a Ksh20,000 bribe.
The incident originated in October 2022, when God’s Vision for Africa in Vihiga reported a faulty and hazardous electricity pole near its premises to KPLC.
Despite multiple notifications, no action was taken, compelling the organization to engage a private contractor to replace the deteriorating pole and prevent potential electrocution or fire hazards.
According to investigators, Oduor reacted angrily upon discovering that the organization had proceeded to replace the pole without involving KPLC, and allegedly threatened to terminate their electricity supply unless he received Ksh50,000.
The complaint was then referred to the EACC, which initiated an investigation and conducted an operation that caught Oduor while accepting Ksh20,000.
The case was forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions, who approved corruption charges against him under the Anti-Bribery Act.
Oduor was detained at Kisumu Central Police Station and presented before the Kisumu Anti-Corruption Court on May 7, 2026, where he was granted bail of Ksh200,000 with an equivalent surety.