Esther Kamesi Pleads for Justice After KPLC Pole Destroyed Her Home

By Love Wambua Andrew in Mbooni West

In Katunyoni village, Kithungo/Kitundu ward, Mbooni West, an 80-year-old woman, watches the sun rise and set through the gaping hole in what remains of her house. Her name is Esther Kamesi Mwinzi — and for her, darkness isn’t just a lack of light. It’s the neglect, the silence, and the abandonment by those entrusted with power, both literally and figuratively.
Esther has never known the joy of a lit bulb in her home. Not because she chose to live off-grid, but because the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) never deemed her home worthy of connection.

Ironically, thick electricity cables hum right over her head, feeding light and comfort into other homes in the area — bypassing her like she doesn’t exist.
And then came the day it got worse.
During the last rainy season, one of those very poles — a symbol of progress for others, but of peril for Esther — came crashing down.

It landed right on her house, tearing through the mud walls like paper, splintering wood, scattering iron sheets, and nearly claiming her life.
“I escaped by the grace of God,” she recounts, standing in front of what used to be her house, now barely a shack. “I had just stepped out. If I were inside, I wouldn’t be talking to you today.”
The impact was devastating. A home shattered. Shelter lost. Dignity trampled.

Since then, Esther has been sleeping under patched plastic sheets, sometimes relying on neighbours for a safe corner during cold nights.
And what has KPLC done?
They visited. Not once, not twice — several times. Educated people-Engineers, technicians, men, and women in branded jackets  and hard hats.

They strutted around, clicked their pens, scribbled in notebooks, nodded solemnly, and promised compensation as they left.Promised reconstruction. Promised justice.
But promises don’t rebuild homes.

“Since the day they came, nothing has happened. They told me they would help. But now, they don’t pick up the phone. They just left me like this,” Esther says, fighting back tears.
This is not just a story of a pole falling. It’s a story of a system that fell — hard and loud — and no one came to lift it. A story of how one of Kenya’s most essential service providers can abandon a citizen so thoroughly, it begs the question: Is this how we treat the elderly in our society?
And how many others like Esther are waiting — under damaged roofs, beside fallen poles, in complete darkness — for KPLC to remember their humanity?
Esther Kamesi doesn’t ask for much. She just wants her home rebuilt. She wants what was taken from her — safety, shelter, peace of mind — returned. It is her only earthly entitlement. She must have it back before her eventual lights-out

But above all, she wants to be heard. The Anchor is here to make sure she is in public interest.
So we ask:
KPLC, where is your conscience?
Where is your commitment to public safety?
And when will you do right to Esther? Until then, this story will not go dark.

KPLC had not responded with a comment by the time of going to press.

Editor’s Note:
The Anchor stands with Esther Kamesi Mwinzi and all others who suffer in silence due to institutional neglect. We believe public utilities like KPLC must be held accountable — not just for the services they provide, but for the harm they cause when they fail. We will continue to follow this story until action is taken and justice is served.
If you have experienced similar negligence or know of others affected, write to us at editor@theanchormedia.org or visit our website at http://www.theanchormedia.org.