The Kenya Power and Lighting Company and Nairobi County standoff over unpaid bills has now spilled over to courts as KPLC sues County for dumping waste at its doorstep and disconnecting their water supply.
In court papers filed in court, Kenya Power wants court to order the county to immediately remove the waste and reconnect water supply.
“A conservatory order in the nature of a mandatory injunction be and is hereby issued compelling the Respondents, their agents, employee and/or howsoever to forthwith remove the garbage dumped entrance, unblock the entrances, reconnect the sewer line and resume water supply to the Petitioner’s properties known as Stima Plaza and Stima Plaza Annex situated in Land Reference No. 209/16013 located within Nairobi County within the Parklands Area of Nairobi County along Kolobot Road, together with the developments thereon and to unclamp all the
vehicles lawfully parked therein and desist from further interfering with the lawful use, occupation and enjoyment of the premises pending the hearing and determination of this application,” reads court papers.
Kenya Power says on February 21 6.30 PM, the county unilaterally and unlawfully disconnected water supply and sewerage services to their premises at Stima plaza Annex and kplc substation.
They argue that the illegal disconnection of water supply and sewerage services was done minus any lawful cause and in any case outside the prescribed inspection and disconnection hours.
They claim that on Monda at around 8.00 a, the county yet again proceeded to blockade the entrance to their buildings using garbage trucks.
The said blockade completely prevented entry and exit from the buildings and being a Monday, the actions of the county blocked the their tenants and their staff members from accessing their offices.
The county then proceeded to dump garbage and other raw refuse at the entrance KPLC buildings and the putrid smell from the garbage not only further barred any form of entry into the buildings but also forced those who were already inside to exit.
“The foregoing actions, which are arbitrary and bereft of any color of right, are greatly detrimental to the Petitioner and its more than 13 different tenants who have lawfully leased office space in the said StimaPlaza and Stima Plaza Annex and who have absolutely nothing to do with the dispute between the county and KPLC,” reads court documents
According to court documents, KPLC tenants have a cumulatively staff of more than 2000 people who use the buildings on a daily basis and currently cannot access the buildings due to the county’s illegal actions.
They have argued that unless the Court urgently intervenes and puts an immediate stop to the Respondents’ patently illegal and irregular actions herein, the Petitioner, its tenants, and their staff members will continue being deprived of clean water supply and sewerage services and the right to access their offices and work in habitable working conditions.
“The subject premises host critical service industries that serve thousands of people daily, including a bank, a hospital, and a restaurant, and a school. The continued illegal disconnection of water supply and sewerage services and the dumped garbage in the subject premises risks sparking a public health crisis of epic proportions and has denied all of the aforesaid essential
services the opportunity to continue with their daily operations and service
to customers,” they argued
