NPS Speaks on Claims of Water and Electricity Cuts in Multiple Police Stations

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The National Police Service (NPS) has responded to reports that several police stations in Nairobi have been left without electricity and running water after failing to pay utility bills.

The affected stations include Kasarani, Buruburu, Lang’ata, and Kamukunji, where officers have reportedly been working under difficult conditions for months.

According to a media report, Kenya Power disconnected electricity at the stations after unpaid bills accumulated over time. Water service providers also cut off the water supply due to outstanding bills.

The situation has affected both police operations and officers living within the stations. In some cases, officers have had to work in darkness, while others have struggled without access to clean running water.

Police Stations Operating in the Dark

At Kasarani Police Station, officers are reportedly buying water from private vendors to carry out their daily duties because of the ongoing water shortage. The lack of water has also affected the residential areas within the station.

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At Lang’ata Police Station, officers say there is a generator that could provide backup power. However, it has reportedly remained unused because there is no money to buy enough fuel to run it.

Meanwhile, Buruburu and Kamukunji police stations have continued operating without electricity after Kenya Power disconnected them over unpaid bills.

Kenya Power vehicles are also said to regularly patrol the stations to prevent any illegal reconnection of power.

Responding to the reports, NPS spokesperson who spoke to Citizen TV, Michael Muchiri acknowledged the financial challenges but said such situations are not unique to the police service.

“Government departments and institutions, and even private entities, are not immune to the occasional financial crunch, especially at the beginning or end of the financial year,” Muchiri said.

Budget Allocation Raises Fresh Questions

The utility crisis comes even as the security sector continues to receive one of the largest shares of Kenya’s national budget.

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According to the approved budget, the National Police Service was allocated approximately Ksh 144.7 billion, while Internal Security and National Administration received Ksh 63.9 billion.

The Kenya Prisons Service received Ksh 42.6 billion, while the National Intelligence Service (NIS) was allocated Ksh 64.1 billion, bringing the Ministry of Interior and National Administration’s total budget to more than Ksh 315.3 billion.

Historically, the National Police Service budget is largely consumed by recurrent expenditure, particularly salaries, allowances, operational costs, fuel, transport, maintenance of police stations and police housing, leasing of police vehicles, communication equipment, and day-to-day policing operations.

Only a relatively smaller portion is allocated towards development projects such as the construction of police stations, modernisation programmes, forensic laboratories, and the acquisition of new infrastructure.

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