Africa-Press – Tanzania. UNIDENTIFIED individuals have tried to vandalise the major strategic power project that is meant to transport 400 kilowatt voltage from Tanzania to Kenya.
The individuals tried to tamper with the Kenya–Tanzania Power Interconnection Project worth more than 500bn/- by cutting metals from large towers for purposes of selling as scrap metal in the black market, despite the government outlawing the sale.
The project supervisor, Eng Lawrence Juae, yesterday named the vandalised equipment as the towers, electric cables and bolts, thus hindering the contractor to complete the project on time.
The crime has also been causing loss to the contractor forcing them to incur extra costs in buying other materials for the second or third time, depending on the level of vandalism.
In collaboration with Tanzania, the contractor is executing the project from Singida to Namanga (about 414 kilometres) and Kenya doing the same covering 510 kilometres from Namanga to Isinya. In explanation, Eng Juae called upon the public to safeguard the project by volunteering information towards the arrest of the criminals, adding that: “The project is of great benefit to Tanzanians and Kenyans and as well as their governments.” Commenting, local leaders, including Village and Ward Executive Officers in areas, where the project is constructed pledged to raise awareness among their people on its benefit.
“We have learnt of what happened in these areas (where the project is) and already we are educating people on its importance. We will do our best to raise constant awareness so that this habit comes to an end,” said Mr Jumanne Lanyisi from Longido.
The governments of Kenya and Tanzania, under the auspices of the Nile Basin Initiative / Nile Equatorial Lakes Subsidiary Action Programme (NELSAP) carried out the feasibility study and detailed design for the power line to interconnect with the power grid systems of the countries.
The power line in Kenya starts from Isinya, in Kajiado County, about 58 kilometres south of Nairobi and runs in a southerly direction for approximately 98 kilometres to the border with Tanzania at Namanga.
At Namanga, the power line crosses into Tanzania and follows another southerly direction to Arusha, where it again diverts in a south-western way to end in Singida.
