Urban Grid Vulnerabilities and Energy Theft: An Analysis of Challenges in Kenya's Urban Areas,

Urban areas in Kenya face significant challenges related to energy theft and grid losses due to inadequate infrastructure and regulatory oversight. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining qualitative interviews with quantitative data analysis from public utility records. Analysis revealed a 20% increase in reported energy theft incidents per year over the last decade, particularly affecting low-income neighborhoods. Urban grid vulnerabilities are exacerbated by existing regulatory gaps and infrastructure deficiencies, necessitating targeted interventions to reduce theft and improve service reliability. Implementing stricter enforcement measures and upgrading distribution networks will be crucial in addressing these challenges. The empirical specification follows $Y=\beta_0+\beta^\top X+\varepsilon$, and inference is reported with uncertainty-aware statistical criteria.