Other than Kenya power and lighting Company (KPLC) banking halls, the company has provided electricity users other platforms of bill payments. The various platforms; Mobile money platforms, Postal offices, Retail supermarkets, financial institutions such as Cooperative and family bank are all meant to provide customers with a convenient platform to pay electricity bills, accounts deposits, connection charges and reconnection fees to their accounts through the wide networks of outlets at no transactional charge.

The lighting company has however temporarily terminated its contract with Uchumi supermarkets due to delayed submission of cash paid by customers. KPLC has therefore advised their customers to pay their monthly bills at alternative points. In a statement by the power company; “Kenya Power wishes to inform its esteemed customers that due to unavoidable circumstances bill payment through Uchumi Supermarket outlets has temporarily been suspended.”

The move to terminate the deal comes after failed efforts of rectifying the situation that has been going on for some time now. Despite the delay in submitting the proceeds after bill payment and purchase of electricity tokens, KPLC also found out Uchumi has been trading using the money without the company’s knowledge.

This comes at a time the chain of supermarkets has been reported to delay payment of goods to various suppliers therefore resulting to loan acquisitions to take care of the financial constraints.

Outlets facilitating electricity payments get commission based on amount of transactions, Uchumi is Kenya’s only publicly listed retailer. Most of the payments made through the channels are usually electronic which means the company doesn’t have to collect them manually from the outlets. Those paying bills in post offices however are not connected to the electronic system.

Electricity users have the options of using E-bill, the SMS or the email service to check their balances and ascertain that such payments have been effected.