Mutula Rebuilds House for 80-Year-Old Victim of Fallen Power Pole

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By Love Wambua |

Katunyoni, Makueni

An elderly woman whose home was crushed by a fallen electricity pole in Katunyoni village, Mbooni West, is finally smiling again — not because of Kenya Power, but thanks to the intervention of Governor Mutula Kilonzo Junior, who has personally overseen the construction of a new house for her.

The victim, Kamene Kamesi Mwinzi, aged 80, had been living in destitution since November 2024 when the pole belonging to the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) collapsed on her home. She had no electricity connection — just the misfortune of living near dangerous infrastructure.

The story was first reported by The Anchor, whose continued coverage brought the case to light and kept it in the public conscience. Our reporter has remained on the beat for months, pushing not just for answers but also justice and accountability.

But in a new twist, KPLC has now offered Kamene a token payout of just KSh 19,148 as “compensation” for the destruction — after deducting 10 percent for ‘prior wear and tear and depreciation.’

A leaked letter from their insurer, Plan & Place Insurance Brokers Ltd, itemizes the destroyed items — 150 bricks, 2 iron sheets, 4 nails, some sand — as if a house and a life reduced to rubble could be rebuilt with such meagre calculations. Labor was valued at just KSh 8,000.

It amounts to characterization of poverty. “What Kenya Power has done is not compensation. It’s mockery of a poor soul” said Paul Mutuku, a resident who secretly handed the invoice to The Anchor. “This was not a luxury home — it was an elderly woman’s only shelter. Deducting depreciation on a peasant’s mud-walled house is heartless,” he added.

When questioned, KPLC’s Manager, Mr. Stephen Mwenesi, defended the payout, saying it was based on insurance policy assessments. But critics have blasted the company for bureaucratic callousness and ignoring the human cost of its negligence.

For days after the incident, Kamene slept in the open. KPLC did nothing — until The Anchor’s reporting triggered public pressure and, finally, the Governor’s action.

KPLC’s infrastructure of live wires has hovered over her roof for years- yet there is no hope that her home will ever light up.

Governor Mutula may have responded with humanity where the corporation failed – but only under pressure. He moved swiftly, allocating county resources to build Kamene a two roomed home. But it is yet to be connected to the power lines above her head.

“I am very thankful to Governor Mutula and everyone who brought attention to my situation,” Kamene told The Anchor.

An 80-Year-Old’s Cry to KPLC for Justice

EDITOR’S NOTE

This story is not just about a power pole or a house. — it is about institutional neglect, accountability, and the power of journalism to demand better for the ordinary mortal.

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