Kenya Power to pay Sh3.2 million to family of Mombasa woman who was electrocuted

The high court has ordered the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) to pay Sh3.2 million to the family of a Mombasa woman who was electrocuted after stepping in water where live electric cables were hanging.

The family of Kwekwe Ngute will receive Sh3,078,853 and 657,500 for special damages and general damages respectively.

The KPLC will pay Sh50,000 for causing pain and suffering to the deceased and Sh100,000 for loss of life expectations. The compensation orders were issued by Justice Julius Ng'arng'ar of the Mombasa High Court.

The judge set aside lower amounts awarded by a magistrate's court but stayed the new orders for 30 days.

Kwekwe stepped in a puddle of water with high-tension electricity while walking home from her farm and was electrocuted, suffering 73 per cent burn wounds on January 15, 2020.

She later succumbed to the injuries while undergoing treatment at the Mombasa Hospital 15 days later.

Justice Ng'arng'ar agreed with the deceased's family that the accident was caused by the negligence of the KPLC employees who had failed to remove the wire that had fallen and had been lying on the ground for three days.

KPLC is always in charge of the installation and maintenance of electric poles and cables.

The family had spent Sh2,421, 353 on medical bills in the period that Kwekwe was in hospital.

Kwekwe's family told the court that she was a 56-year-old housewife and farmer who left behind six dependants including her husband and five children and was always in good health prior to the accident.

"The court herein therefore appreciates that an award of Sh100,000 was modest on the reasoning that the deceased was healthy and enjoyed a vigorous life which was cut short by the accident," stated the judge.

KPLC had denied liability claiming that the incident was caused by the deceased's negligence or contributory negligence of failing to exercise safety precautions and consider safety measures in the circumstances, ignoring the danger and warning signs put up by the company.

The company accused the deceased of interfering with electric supply wires, standing too close to the electricity wires in complete disregard of the looming danger, and tampering with the KPLC's electricity wires and urged the court to dismiss the family's suit for compensation with costs.