KISUMU, Kenya Feb 14 -A middle-aged man was fatally electrocuted in Kisumu on Tuesday night while attempting to restore his power connection on high-voltage transmission lines.
According to witnesses, the victim, who runs a barber shop in Manyatta area, ventured up an electric pole around 8 pm. to rectify his disconnected electricity supply following a prolonged outage earlier in the day.
“He climbed to change his line to another active line so as not to be affected by the outage,” said John Ochieng, a resident of the area.
Tragically, the man came into contact with a live three-phase power line, resulting in his immediate electrocution.
Despite efforts by onlookers to assist, he remained suspended from the pole for nearly an hour before authorities were alerted.
Officials from Kenya Power, along with local law enforcement, arrived at the scene to remove the victim’s body which was transferred to the mortuary at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital.
Expressing condolences to the bereaved family, local MCA Joachim Oketch issued a stern warning to residents about the dangers of tampering with electrical infrastructure.
“This is a sad death,” he remarked, “we’re reminded to always stick to our levels; power lines are very sensitive, and we should keep off at all times.”
