Kenya Pipeline hunts for new managing director

Kenya Pipeline Company Ltd depot off Jogoo Road [Photo: BEVERLYNE MUSILI]

Kenya Pipeline Corporation has started the recruitment of managing director — a position that has remained vacant for almost a year.

Yesterday, the State-owned petroleum distribution firm invited applicants to fill the plum position whose previous holders have been hauled out of office. Joe Sang, who has been acting managing director for just over a month, is among the contenders for the job of running a parastatal with one of the highest revenues in the country.

Several of the previous substantive bosses, including disgraced managing director Charles Tanui, held to brief after the ouster of their predecessors. Board chairman John Ngumi has in the recent past said the position would only be filled through a competitive recruitment process as he seeks to contain corruption.

KPC, which levies Sh2.50 to transport a litre of petroleum products including diesel and kerosene from Mombasa to Nairobi, could easily be the richest parastatal — a factor that could explain the interests from top government officials in deciding who gets the job.

From handling six billion litres of fuel this year, KPC’s revenues from moving the products alone could be anywhere above Sh20 billion. Now the corporation is executing major infrastructure projects, including a new pipeline from Mombasa, being developed by Lebanese firm Zakhem International, with an estimate budget of Sh53 billion.

KPC is also at an advanced stage of launching a major extension of the pipeline from the main line to five major urban towns, including Migori and Busia. An initial budget for four of the extensions is about Sh36 billion while the price tag of the fifth, and possibly the longest, has not been determined.

Flora Akoth, who was dismissed early last month to pave way for the elevation of Mr Sang, exited quietly in what the board described as proceeding on leave. Sang’s appointment was effective January 4. Sang was until his appointment the General Manager Finance and Strategy.

Insiders say Ms Akoth was actually on leave and is expected back in the office but it is unclear which position she will be redeployed to. KPC is struggling to clear a major oil spill in Makueni that has devastated dozens of households, with many victims suffering from terminal resultant conditions.