PETITION TO:

1. ENERGY AND PETROLEUM REGULATORY AUTHORITY (EPRA) KENYA

2. KENYA POWER AND LIGHTING COMPANY (KPLC)

We would like to seek the two offices' intervention and assistance regarding supply of electricity to homes at Great Wall Gardens 2 in AthiRiver, Machakos County in Kenya. In addition, we are calling on the Kenyan citizens to help us bring this matter to the attention of the esteemed offices and duty bearers.

We are a group of homeowners and residents who moved into Greatwall Gardens 2 in Athi River, Kenya in March 2020. The estate is located near Athi River interchange, on Shanghai road. We have held several meetings with homeowners and residents and unanimously opted for Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) meters to be installed in each home/unit, and subsequently, continual supply of electricity from KPLC.

Consequently, we have delivered our duly signed application forms for new power connection to KPLC offices.

This petition has been necessitated by the following concerns, which we have raised with the Edderman Property limited and their Greatwall Gardens 2 management offices, KPLC and EPRA without our complaints being duly addressed.

We wish to state that:

1. Erdemann Property Ltd have been supplying electricity to our houses at exorbitant rates higher than KPLC normal rates. Homeowners have received complaints from their tenants about exorbitant charges on electricity tokens being supplied by Erdemann Property Ltd.

2. We have also noted with concern that the prepaid electricity tokens are expended very first, leading us to doubt the credibility of metres being used by Erdemann Property Ltd in our residences. Indeed, we have not been supplied with the details of calibration credentials for these meters, and we question their credibility.

3. We are desirous of, and have opted to apply for KPLC metres for each unit/ house. However, at KPLC offices, we have been advised that the developer, Erdemann Property Ltd provides a consent letter for our applications to be considered. However, our efforts to obtain a consent letter from Erdemann Property ltd has been unsuccessful. Erdemann Property Ltd has refused to provide this letter to homeowners, and continued to hold us hostage to their illegal supply of electricity tokens since March –July 2020.

4. The Erdemann Property Ltd office promised to provide this information, together with duly processed KPLC meter application, a promise which they have back tracked on, despite the developer having given assurance that within 3 months of handover to the house, we will have electricity from KPLC. Instead, they have insisted to continue supplying us with electricity at exorbitant rates using questionable metres.

5. In case of power outage, we have no KPLC meter reference number to use so as to report to the KPLC customer care service for assistance. We have therefore been left to fend for ourselves, without secure and sustainable connection to the national power supply grid.

7. We are concerned about our security during domestic use of the current supply, and we shall have no recourse in case of liability from faults, injury and damages resulting from their connection and supply.

8. This is in light of the fact that between March 1, 2020 and July 27, 2020 they had no licence to supply power, and went ahead in contravention of the Energy Act 2019 to supply homes with power.

9. Our grievances regarding electricity have been ignored, treated with contempt, and entirely not addressed, despite our members emailing Erdemann Property ltd and even physically visiting their offices. Our problems regarding the electricity supply issue have not been given the attention that this serious matter deserves. Our initial petition to EPRA has also been ignored, in clear violation of consumer rights. In light of the ongoing covid19 pandemic, EPRA is using the impossibility of stakeholder engagement to hurriedly offer a licence to a private entity who in turn extorts from us. We wish to state categorically that as stakeholders, we do not wish to be supplied electricity by Eddermann property limited.

9. In light of the poor precedence, bad faith and bad service, Erdemann Property ltd is not the preferable entity to supply us with electricity henceforth, under their current trade name or their other affiliated management companies, including Greatwall Gardens Phase II ltd. We prefer electricity supply from KPLC and have written this to EPRA before, and are now stating this publicly for record.

10. Our petition from homeowners to the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) dated June 24, 2020 was ignored. Instead, Edermann property limited were given a 90day licence to forcefully supply us with electricity on July 27, 2020 and to try to mask their initial illegal actions. We wish to state our displeasure with the total disregard EPRA has shown to our view as homeowners and residents who are the primary stakeholders and consumers of electricity. Instead of protecting our consumer rights, we are being forced to be economically exploited by a private entity.

That we wish to have KPLC meters installed, and the KPLC supply us with electricity henceforth.

We, therefore, would like to humbly petition the above offices, to look into this matter urgently, and serve as a foundation for KPLC to supply each homeowner with a electricity power metre and safe, stable and continuous electrical supply.

We are calling upon the law abiding citizens of Kenya to help us sign this petition.

Homeowners and Residents of GWG2, Athi River, Machakos County