Kenya Power has a new CEO, and Kenyans are not happy.
Kenya Power has appointed Bernard Ngugi its new Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Bernard Ngugi, was formerly the General Manager, Supply Chain in the electricity company. The appointment took effect from 28th October 2019 after successfully emerging the best in a competitive process to bag the company’s top post.
Mr. Ngugi takes over from Eng. Jared Otieno who had been appointed the Acting MD & CEO since July last year to the position following the exit of the former Management team. According to the statement by the power company, Mr. Ngugi has a Business Administration Master’s Degree in Finance and Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting with over 30 years’ experience in the Company with expertise in financial and revenue accounting, internal audit and supply chain management.
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Bernard is also a Certified Public Accountant of Kenya and a member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya. The CEO is also a Certified Public Secretary of Kenya and a member of the Institute of Certified Public Secretaries of Kenya.
Some of the Social Media users are however not happy with his appointment. Bernard Ngugi a Kikuyu, takes over from acting Eng. Jared Othieno, a Luo, and Kenyans are quick to drag the handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Amolo Odinga, saying it was meant to bring unity in the country. According to them, the handshake is supposed to take care of the two tribes when appointments such as parastatals CEOs are made.
The new Kenya power CEO Bernard Ngugi. Since the handshake it's only kikuyus who are getting jobs at the expense of kalenjins. Luo's just act for sometime as they search for the right candidate. He was head of procurement. The dept that cost Kenya power the most. pic.twitter.com/dvK4rdrCLb
— JOHNNY (@Ibrahimjohnny) October 29, 2019
Eng Jared Othieno Manager, Public Lighting , Snr Electrical Engineer and Management Executive has been acting as @KenyaPower CEO for over a year. He has 35 years experience in the organization. Because of ethnicity, Ngugi had to get named the new CEO. @CofekRebranded
— Rein (@Asamoh_) October 29, 2019
Jared Omondi Otieno was appointed acting Kenya Power Chief Executive Officer in July last year after the former Power Boss Ken Tarus was suspended, arrested and arraigned in court alongside other top 10 executives over irregular KSH 4.5 Billion tendering of power transformers. His acting appointment however expired last year in December but got an extension.
The appointment of the new CEO comes at a moment Kenya Power is racing a Sh 2B plan to reduce the frequent outages and supply steady power to its customers.
“We believe that Mr. Ngugi will see the company through an important stage of its development and growth as we work to diligently implement all our plans to strengthen the Company and the commercial aspects of our business,” said Kenya Power chairman Mahboub Maalim in a statement sent to Media Houses.
The electricity distributing company issued a profit warning in September this year, saying its profits for the year which ended in June 2019 was 25 percent lower than the Sh1.92 billion after-tax profit it posted in the financial year ended June 2018.
Read: Another giant appointment.
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