The house is finished. The paint is dry, and you have seen it on a video call. There is no meter on the wall, and someone at home says they know a person at Kenya Power who can speed things up for a small fee.
Do not send that fee. The KPLC new connection requirements are published by Kenya Power, the quotation comes in writing, and the payment goes to Kenya Power against an application reference. Here is the whole process.
KPLC new connection requirements: the documents
Kenya Power's new connections page lists these mandatory documents for every applicant:
- A copy of your national ID, or a passport for non-Kenyans (company registration certificate if a company owns the property).
- A copy of your KRA PIN certificate.
- A route sketch map to the premises, or a pin location where supply is needed.
- A copy of the title deed or certificate showing land ownership, or an official letter from the local administration office.
- Commencement of work certificates from a licensed electrical contractor.
Standard domestic supply falls in the category below 25 kVA. Larger loads are premium applications and need a scaled site plan and load schedule as well.
Notice what is on the list. The ID, the PIN and the title should all be in the owner's name. If the house is yours, the application should be yours, even if someone else hands in the papers.
How to apply for a KPLC connection
You can apply at a Kenya Power office, at the new connection counter, by filling in the enquiry of supply form and attaching the documents. You can also apply online by going to the Kenya Power website and choosing the self-service option, which lets you pick the type of application. For an owner abroad, the online route keeps the application in your name and your email inbox.
After the application, the steps in Kenya Power's published procedure run like this:
- Design and quotation. Kenya Power designs the supply and issues a quotation by post, email or SMS.
- The quotation is valid for 90 days. It is made up of capital contribution, VAT and a meter deposit. Postpaid domestic connections need a refundable meter deposit.
- Payment. You pay the quoted amount through an official channel (see below).
- Certificates. After payment you submit the installation test and completion of work certificates from your licensed electrical contractor. Kenya Power says internal wiring certificates are submitted electronically through a portal shared with the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA).
- Wayleave consent. If the line crosses a neighbour's land, Kenya Power obtains right of way consent from the property owners, citing the Energy Act, 2019.
- Supply contract. You sign a supply contract form.
- Construction and metering. Once all documents and payments are in, Kenya Power builds the line and installs the meter.
Kenya Power new connection charges
This is the part people search for most, and the honest answer is that the figure comes on your quotation. It depends on the load, the distance from the nearest transformer and line, and whether new poles are needed. Any number you read online, including on third-party sites, may be out of date or for a different site.
What you can control is this. Ask for the quotation in writing, check the three parts (capital contribution, VAT, meter deposit) add up to the total, and keep it.
Official payment channels
Kenya Power's own page lists these ways to pay a new connection quotation:
- electronic funds transfer (RTGS) to Kenya Power's bank account, using the details on Kenya Power's official page or your quotation
- the KPLC new connection paybill, 888899, quoting your application reference number
- a cheque to KPLC, with the application reference and contact number written on the back
- cash at a Kenya Power payment or commercial office
Each of these puts the money in Kenya Power's name against your reference. None of them goes to a personal M-Pesa number, an agent's till or a staff member's phone. If someone gives you a different paybill or asks you to "send it to me and I will pay", treat it as a warning. Confirm the paybill on your quotation before you pay, because payment details are the first thing fraudsters copy.
The wiring and the electrician
Under section 148 of the Energy Act, anyone doing electrical installation work must be licensed as an electrical contractor by EPRA. Kenya Power's page points to EPRA's list of licensed electrical contractors and says the contractor:
- guides the trench digging and cable ducts where needed
- does the internal wiring and issues the commencement, completion and test certificates
- for prepaid meters, installs the communication cable to where the user interface unit will sit
Check the contractor's name on EPRA's list yourself. A fundi who wired the house without a licence cannot issue the certificates Kenya Power needs, and you may end up paying twice.
Managing it from abroad
Most of the delay and most of the loss in new connections comes from the gap between the owner and the site. A few things help.
- Apply in your name, online. The quotation and SMS updates then come to you, not to whoever is helping.
- Send the documents yourself. Scan your ID, PIN and title and upload them. If a relative must go to the office, give them copies and a short signed letter naming them and the property.
- Ask for the reference number, then ask Kenya Power. With the application reference you can follow up directly through Kenya Power's customer care channels instead of relying on updates passed along.
- Pay from your side. Pay the quotation yourself through the paybill or bank transfer, from wherever you are, quoting the reference. Then nobody at home has to carry your money or explain where it went.
- Ask the electrician for photos and the certificate numbers. You can check the contractor on the EPRA list before the job and see the certificates were submitted after.
Questions people ask
What are the KPLC new connection requirements for a house? A copy of your ID or passport, KRA PIN certificate, a sketch map or pin location, proof of land ownership and certificates from a licensed electrical contractor. You also sign a supply contract after paying the quotation.
How long is a KPLC quotation valid? Kenya Power says quotations are valid for 90 days from the date of issue.
What is the KPLC new connection paybill? Kenya Power's new connections page lists paybill 888899, with your application reference as the account. Confirm the number on your quotation before you pay.
Can someone else apply for my connection? They can hand in documents, but the documents should be yours, in your name. Keep the application and the payment under your control.
A note on the house itself
Kenya Power asks for the title because the connection follows ownership. Karibu checks title records, agent licences on the EARB register and asking prices by area, and you can ask bRRAIn, our property research assistant, about what to check on a plot before you build or buy.
When the quotation arrives, forward it to yourself and check the paybill and reference before a single shilling moves.
Sources: Kenya Power, FAQs: New Connections (official procedure page, standing). Energy Act, 2019 (standing law, sections 142, 148, 171 and 178). Fees and payment details can change. Confirm the current figures on your Kenya Power quotation or at a Kenya Power office.