Kenya Power sued over Sh616,000 ‘erroneous’ bill

Justice Alan Donovan, owner of African Heritage House. PHOTO | EVANS HABIL 

By GALGALLO FAYO

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Summary

• Alan Donovan says Kenya Power disconnected electricity to the business that deals in art materials on September 4, shortly after it billed him and amount that covered November 2016 to March 2018.
• He protested the amount saying he had paid all his monthly bills on time but that Kenya Power clarified that it had all along erroneously under-billed him, leading to the colossal amount.
• Mr Donovan claims that the erroneous billing has been ongoing since 2008 and he has made several trips to the Kenya Power office to complain but continued settling the bills every month even as he protested.

Alan Donovan, the proprietor of African Heritage House, has filed a suit against Kenya Power

after the utility firm cut electricity supply to his firm over Sh616,000 bills.

Mr Donovan, in a suit filed at Milimani Courts, says Kenya Power disconnected electricity to the business that deals in art materials on September 4, shortly after it billed him and amount that covered November 2016 to March 2018.

He protested the amount saying he had paid all his monthly bills on time but that Kenya Power clarified that it had all along erroneously under-billed him, leading to the colossal amount.

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In the court papers, the petitioner argues that the State-owned firm is using the bill to punish him after he swore an affidavit supporting the case by lawyer Apollo Mboya on backdated electricity bills.

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“That a conservatory order be granted pending hearing and determination of this petition, compelling the 1st respondent, its servants or agents in particular its regional manager Nairobi South Region forthwith reconnects the applicant’s power supply,” reads the paper filed in court.

Mr Donovan claims that the erroneous billing has been ongoing since 2008 and he has made several trips to the Kenya Power office to complain but continued settling the bills every month even as he protested.

He says that it had been sending him estimated bills without sending its staff to read the meter and that early last year he applied and installed a new meter hoping that the issue would be resolved.

Kenya Power on June 6 sent him the revised bill, saying Mr Donovan had consumed 38,424 units from November 2016 to March 2018 but had been billed only for 9,666 units.

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The firm indicated that the total electricity consumed was Sh871,235 over that period and yet he had been billed Sh286,486.

However, Mr Donavan argues that this amounts to backdating electricity bills and is seeking the court’s protection noting that High Court had already issued orders in a case filed by Mr Mboya stopping backdating of bills.

He says the disconnection of power supply has caused him a lot of harm.

noting that he usually hosts local and international guests at African Heritage House which has thousands of art collections.

African Heritage House is home to more than 6,000 pieces of African arts that can hardly be found anywhere in the world today, apart from a few private collections or public museums. It is located just off Mombasa Road, on the edge of Nairobi National Park.