DEDAN KIMATHI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

ATTACHMENT REPORT
KENYA POWER AND LIGHTING COMPANY

BY
MWANGI BRIAN MURAGURI
B012-01-0578/2017

An Attachment Report Submitted to the School of Business in Partial Fulfillment of the

Requirements for the Award of Degree in Business Administration (Accounting and
Finance) Dedan Kimathi University of Technology

NOVEMBER, 2019
 DECLARATION
I hereby declare that this report is my own work carried out at Kenya Power and Lighting
Company required for the award of Degree in Business Administration, under the guideline of
the company’s supervisor Mr. Chrispine Gharama during the attachment period which
commenced on 10th September 2019.

MWANGI BRIAN MURAGURI

B012-01-0578/2017
Sign_____________________________ Date ________________________

Declaration by the Supervisor

This report has been submitted with my approval as the Supervisor of Dedan Kimathi University
of Technology.

Sign _____________________________ Date _________________________

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 DEDICATION
First I want to dedicate this report to my family and friends for their support and encouragement
to the final stage of attachment. I also recognize my classmates for their support, motivation and
encouragement throughout my attachment period.

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Specials thanks to the almighty God for giving me wisdom and ability to successfully complete
my attachment program. I would like to recognize the contribution of my family members and
friends for their effort, good work, cooperation, friendship and understanding, which was the
backbone of my successful completion of the attachment program. Further I acknowledge the
help of my supervisor, Mr. Chrispine Gharama for his support throughout the attachment period.
I do thank Kenya power and lighting company Central Rift branch fraternity for having offered
me the opportunity to learn more skills and knowledge in the organization.

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Table of Contents
DECLARATION............................................................................................................................i
DEDICATION...............................................................................................................................ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT...........................................................................................................iii
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY...........................................................................................................v
CHAPTER ONE............................................................................................................................1
1.0: Introduction...........................................................................................................................1
1.1 Background of the organization.............................................................................................1
1.2: Expectations from the attachment.........................................................................................2
1.3 VISION..................................................................................................................................2
1.4 MISSION...............................................................................................................................2
1.5 CORE VALUES....................................................................................................................2
CHAPTER TWO...........................................................................................................................4
2.1: History of Kenya Power& Lighting Company....................................................................4
2.2: Objectives of the attachment.................................................................................................6
2.3: The Company’s Departments...............................................................................................6
The following are the departments in Kenya Power....................................................................6
2.4 Organizational structure.........................................................................................................9
CHAPTER THREE.....................................................................................................................10
3.0: Attachment Experience.......................................................................................................10
3.1: General Task Undertaken...................................................................................................10
3.2: Specific Activities Undertaken...........................................................................................11
3.3: An Analysis of Knowledge Learned and Applied Skills...................................................11
3.4: Work accomplishment and experience...............................................................................12
3.5: Relationship with staff............................................................................................................12
3.6: Observation.........................................................................................................................13
CHAPTER FOUR.......................................................................................................................14
4.0: Summary, Conclusion and Recommendation.....................................................................14
4.1: Summary............................................................................................................................14
4.2: Conclusion..........................................................................................................................14
4.3: Recommendations...............................................................................................................15

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 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The duration of the attachment was three months, which I spent in the Revenue department,

Management Accounting department, Pay office department and Payments department.

Industrial attachment training widens your knowledge and helps you gain experience in areas of

specialization.  Students can gain practical skills related to the theory learnt in class, innovation

ideas, fresh ideas and many others things. It also helps in the production of skilled personnel.

This report summarizes the whole company. That is the physical address of the company, the

background of the company, the brief history of the organization, vision, mission, quality policy,

expectations, organization structure and the general activities undertaken with staff and the

challenges encountered during the attachment period. It also gives the summary, conclusion and

recommendation.

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 CHAPTER ONE
1.0: Introduction

The Faculty of business requires that all the students must go for an industrial attachment before
they graduate. The attachment should last for at least two months as a partial fulfilment of the
requirements for the award of the degree. It also doubles as a chance for the students to
experience practical aspects of the course.

While on attachment, the students are fully under the supervision of the management of the
organization attached. The organization also requires the university to send a team of academic
staff to these organizations to supervise the students. Students are required to notify the
university on the organizations where they are attached including the physical location to
facilitate the supervision. A confidential assessment report is sent to the university at the end of
the attachment period. They also expect the student to write a report after the attachment and
hand it over to the University for Evaluation.

I prepared the report after undertaking two months’ industrial attachment at Kenya Power&

Lighting Company and it gives the details of the work done, experience gained, challenges
encountered and suggested solutions to the challenges encountered, where I worked under the
direction of a supervisor Mr. Chrispine Gharama.

1.1 Background of the organization

Kenya Power& Lighting Company (KPLC) is a Parastatal company which deals with
transmitting, distributing and retailing electricity to customers. The company is a national
electricity company, managing electric metering, licensing, billing, emergency electricity service
and customer relations. Kenya Power headquarters are at Stima Plaza, Kolobot Road in
Parklands Nairobi. Kenya Power& Lighting Company also has a training school which is based
at Thika Road opposite Utalii College which offers many courses such as electrical engineering,
electronic installation and overhead line construction.

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1.2: Expectations from the attachment

1. Exposure to the demands and challenges of workplace.

2. Gaining of work ethics.

3. Acquiring self-reliance skills.

4. Develop work based skills.

5. Contribution to the local industry.

6. To establish industry networks and contacts.

1.3 VISION

To achieve a world class status as a quality service business enterprise to be the first choice
supplier of electrical energy in a competitive environment.

1.4 MISSION

To efficiently transmit and distribute high quality electricity throughout Kenya at a cost effective
tariffs to achieve the highest standards of customer service and to ensure the company’s long-
term technical and financial viability.

1.5 CORE VALUES

To achieve this vision and mission and quality policy, the company lives by the following core
values:

     Customer first

The company is always dependable, enrich customer lives by serving them, have high quality
services every time, ensure that customers are delighted, not just satisfied and exceed their
expectations. The company also treat all customers the same.



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Teamwork

The company focuses on achieving the team goal, positively challenge each other. The company
also is accountable, support and encourage one another.

Passion

The companies have a sense of urgency to achieve goals, wholly engaged, committed to work
and also deliver world class performance through application of exceptionally high standards.

Integrity

The company has strong moral principles and not only achieves results but do so ethically. It
is trustworthy, honest, always fair, and responsible and safeguards custodian and
guardian of the business. The company is also loyal to customers.

         Excellence

The company benchmark with the best to attain world-class standards. It is innovative, creative
and self-driven to be always on top.

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 CHAPTER TWO
2.1: History of Kenya Power& Lighting Company

1908:  Harrali Esmailjee Jeevanjee, a wealthy merchant in Mombasa, acquires the generator and
transfers it to the Mombasa Electric Power and Lighting Company.

1908:  Around the same time, an engineer, Mr. Clement Hertzel, is granted the exclusive right to
supply electricity to the then district and town of Nairobi. This leads to the formation of the
Nairobi Power and Lighting Syndicate

 1922:  The two utilities in Nairobi and Mombasa are merged under a new company incorporated
as the East African Power and Lighting Company (EAP&L).

1932:  EAP&L acquires a controlling interest in the Tanganyika Electricity Supply Company
Limited (TANESCO).

 1936:  EAP&L obtains generating and distribution licenses for Uganda, thereby entrenching its
presence in the East African region.

 1948:  The Uganda Electricity Board (UEB) is established by the Ugandan Government to take
over distribution of electricity in the country.

 1954:  The Kenya Power Company (KPC) is created to be managed by EAP&L - for the
purpose of transmitting power from Uganda through the Tororo-Juja line.

1964:   EAP&L sells its majority stockholding in TANESCO to the government of Tanzania

 1983:  With its operations confined only to Kenya, EAP&L is renamed The Kenya Power and
Lighting Company Limited (KPLC).

 1997:  The functions of generation are split from transmission and distribution. The Kenya
Power Company, which has been under the management of KPLC since 1954, becomes a
separate entity responsible for public-funded power generation projects.

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 1998:  The Kenya Power Company is re-launched as the Kenya Electricity Generating Company
(KenGen).

 2004:  The Energy Sector Recovery Project (ESRP) is started to rehabilitate and reinforce the
transmission and distribution network in order to improve the quality and reliability of supply,
reduce system losses and increase access to electricity.

 2007:  Rural Electrification Authority (REA) is established to speed up the implementation pace
of the rural electrification program.

 2008:  Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (KETRACO) is incorporated by the

government to accelerate transmission infrastructure development.  

2008:  The government incorporates the Geothermal Development Company tasked with
developing steam fields to reduce upstream power development risks so as to promote rapid
development of geothermal electric power. 

2011: The Kenya Power and Lighting Company rebrands to Kenya Power.

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2.2: Objectives of the attachment

 To enable students to connect theory to practice in real world business situations that
often involves decision-making, functional management and the Accounting function.
 To make students develop realistic expectations regarding the real world of work, playing
the role of being an employee and experience what it takes to work within a structured
environment in authority and being held responsible for duties performed.
 To expose the student to the behavior of organizations both in the internal and external
environments and encourage them to be productive whilst developing future managers.
 To seek industry evaluation of our degree programs in terms of relevance to industry and
commerce
 To cultivate the student’s professionalism, aptitude, attitude and adaptive skills in real-
life situations
 To further develop the student’s interpersonal and collaborative skills through working
with colleagues
 To boost the student’s technical and design competency

2.3: The Company’s Departments

The following are the departments in Kenya Power.

1.      Customer service department

This department deals with issues of customers directly by payment bills, opening of new
accounts and change of accounts.

2.      Finance department

Finance department is committed to providing business support and guidance for the efficient
management of the company’s financial resources.

3.      Revenue department

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This department deals with refunding funds to closed accounts, funds paid to wrong accounts by
reallocating the money to the correct account and any other queries.

4.      Information technology and telecommunication department 

This department maintains computers and communication network within the company

5.      Supply chain logistics, transport and procurement department

This is a department that deals with quantity, quality, distribution, storage and transportation of
goods and services within and outside the departments.

6.      Energy Transmission department

This department deals with transmitting energy to needy customers at lower prices, receive
services and goods delivered by the suppliers, issue to demanding department, return faulty
goods to suppliers and they do stock checking.

7.      Operations and Maintenance department

The department deals with maintaining of existing power lines, transport installations.

8.      Debt control department

This department is responsible for the collection of all debts of the company from defaulters.

9.      Design and construction department

This department deals with line electricity installation designing and construction.

10.  Safety and health department

This department ensures the safety and health of the personnel, equipment’s and the building at
large. They make sure that all people are in their protective such as clothes, gloves and shoes. In
case of accident, they investigate and recommend so that it does not happen again.

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11.  Human resource and administration department

This department deals with all staff welfare such as leave processing and also hiring of new
employees, training and staff appraisal.

12.  Security department

The department ensures security of the company and its premises.

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13.  Customer relations and marketing department

The department deals with marketing the company services within and outside the country.

14.  Internal audit department

They internally examine the books of accounts of the company.

15. Management Accounting

Performing reconciliation of transitory accounts and posting of bank statement.

16. Pay Office

Mainly performing reallocation of funds to different cost center and paying casual and other
claims of the employees, and customer’s refunds.

17. Costing Office

Preparation and clearing payment proposal and posting of cheques to suppliers

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 2.4 Organizational structure

Board of Directors

Managing Director and CEO

Chief Manager Procurement Chief Manager Company Chief Manager

Energy Officer Central Commercial Secretary Corporate
Transmission Rift Service Development

Chief Manager Chief Manager

Finance Debt Control

Costing Office Management Pay Office Revenue

Accounting

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 CHAPTER THREE
3.0: Attachment Experience

The aim of attachment is to put into practice what I have learnt in class. The experience gained at
KPLC is the one I will perpetually treasure. The induction was done professionally thus it was
easy for me to settle down the work processes. For the eight weeks of my attachment, the
experience gained broadens my knowledge and understanding in various aspects.

3.1: General Task Undertaken

1.      Reallocation of funds to the correct accounts that erroneously deposited to the wrong
account  

2.      Recording of receipts and mailing them

3.      Receiving of cheques and recording them

4.      Keying and posting of VAT certificates from government institutions

5.       Making deposits refunds to customers who closed their accounts. Cancellation on request,
forced termination and termination due to non-payment

6.      Keying in and posting capitalisation

7.      Filling reallocation documents

8.       Processing for payment of medical invoices, medical refund after authorization from the
supervisor.

9.      Completing of amounts of deposit refunds, writing VAT certificates also payment of
vouchers and reversing bounced cheques to the system

10.  Clearing of accounts, correction of accounting errors in individual bills and payments and
prepare monthly statements

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 11. Keying in labour cost returns

12.  Posting invoices

3.2: Specific Activities Undertaken

. 1.      Receiving documents

All documents from various departments are received in the procurement department. I had the
experience of receiving the documents and forwarding for approval.

2.      Check invoices

To check and determine the accuracy of all purchasing documents before processing them
in order to safeguard corporate interests

3.      Payment of suppliers

To liaise with finance and user department by forwarding goods receipt notes and any other
accounting relevant documents for prompt payment to suppliers

4.     Filling, sorting and putting ISO numbers on the files

Finance section keeps all important company documents e.g. copy of supplier orders, RPC
minutes documents, pre-qualified suppliers’ documents, etc. I got experience on how ISO filing
is done in various documents and updated.

5.      Document entry

This posting of invoices in the system using a program called system application programs
(SAP).

6.      Keying in documents

This keying in reallocations documents.

3.3: An Analysis of Knowledge Learned and Applied Skills

During the period of attachment, I developed and tested my services skills and abilities. Through
this I have specifically found that company appreciated me to work, operate and offer services to
them.

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I not only learnt about revenue but also something about myself in particular. When one’s many
initiatives and projects with the company was recompensed with such genuine joy and
recognition gave me one day after another a lot of energy and inspiration.

I had also always appeared helpful and happy to alternative solutions to the company’s
challenging operations.

I learnt from all of this that to make a positive difference for me with the job came also a great
responsibility. Sometimes I had the full responsibility for finance department alone in situations
where there was nobody in the department

I also learned various skills which include:

1. Teamwork skills
2. Leadership skills
3. Conflict handling skills
4. Managerial skills
5. Creativity and innovation skills
6. Communication skills
7. Listening skills
8. Procurement skills

3.4: Work accomplishment and experience

The eight weeks of attachment period at Kenya power has been instrumental in career
development and has broadened my experience on the application of theoretical knowledge in
finance and data handling.

3.5: Relationship with staff

I enjoyed a good relationship with the organization’s staff throughout my attachment period at

the company, this was through the interactions I had with them that helped me to learn more

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about the company, hence making my stay at the association to be smooth. This good

relationship enabled me to get help from the staff when need arose. 

3.6: Observation

During my twelve weeks of attachment, I observed:

      The employees especially from the top to the bottom respect and understand each other.

      There was teamwork among the stakeholders enhancing the working environment.

    All the staff of Kenya power was very punctual in keeping time. They come to work early

and leave late just to ensure that the activities completed as early as possible.

     The officers in charge, staff and students on attachment was also organized

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 CHAPTER FOUR
4.0: Summary, Conclusion and Recommendation

4.1: Summary

Industrial attachment programs are the link between theoretical studies and real life application.
The program is designed to assist students to link up the skills learnt in class with the application
in the field. There was a lot of work that called for attention, dedication and perseverance, but it
was an experience worth remembering. It gave me an opportunity to exercise responsibilities and
discharge duties that I was assigned.

I learnt that to make a positive difference for me with the job came also a great responsibility. I
also learned various skills which include: teamwork skills, social skills, leadership skills, conflict
handling skills, managerial skills, creativity and innovation skills, communication skills,
listening skills, Human resources and administrative skills.

I did not experience many challenges except for system breakdown. Sometimes the systems
hanged while working with system application programs or working hard to beat deadlines.
There is also a high level of bureaucracy when trying to solve a simple problem. This subjects
the employees to endless movements from one office to another seeking for official signatories
thus cumbersome and time wasting.

4.2: Conclusion

The time I have been in Kenya Power & Lighting Company cannot be counted a loss because I
have gained a lot. From the time I started my attachment until the end, I encountered none major
problem since the supervisors were around to give me help. I have therefore learned a lot that
will not only help me in my studies but also in job seeking.

I have learned the skills in procuring works and services, handling customers and since my
course is business oriented, and customers will be part of my everyday encounter. So, many
thanks to Kenya power and everyone who has made this process a success.

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4.3: Recommendations

Management should consider extending the internship programs by employing students who

have successfully served in the internship program since they are well conversed with the council
of procurement, human resource and administration, marketing, operations, procedures,
regulations and laid down policies. The company will benefit from ambassadors who worked
passionately with the interest of the company at heart, committing their efforts to serving
company in competence.

I recommend the working closely between the company’s departments and attaches in a view to
growing corporate awareness in the learning community for the company to benefit from
competent personnel fresh from the learning institutions. I also recommend that the organization
should reward the highly performing students during their attachment period.

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