By Samuel Ouma
Kenya Power and Lightening Company Ltd (KPLC) has officially unveiled a customer self-service portal for new connections.
The new development will help customers apply for electricity connection at their comfort in their homes without traveling.
Customers will be required to use Kenya Power’s mobile phone App ‘My Power’ to apply for electricity or visit https://selfservice.kplc.co.ke/ using a computer or a mobile phone.
They will be required to submit land/property ownership documents, ID cards, and PIN certificates through the portal during the application.
Once the application process is complete, customers will get a reference number instantaneously that they can use to proactively query and track their application status via USSD code *977#.
Customers will also receive text messages from the company updating them whenever their applications move to the next stage.
"The portal is in line with one of the company's core strategic pillars of enhancing customer experience aimed at making services more accessible to customers. The convenient application process will also help drive sales, which is among the key pillars of our turnaround strategy," said Kenya Power Managing Director Bernard Ngugi.
According to the company, the self-service portal is set to help eliminate instances of customers falling prey to fraudsters who ask them to pay for application forms or claim they can assist customers in applying for power at a fee. Electricity application in Kenya is free of charge.
Reporting power outages, carrying out prepaid token purchase queries, submitting meter readings to get actual monthly bills for post-paid customers will also be through the portal.