Kenya Power MD Bernard Ngugi exits barely two years into his term

Kenya Power Managing Director Bernard Ngugi [David Njaaga, Standard]

The Managing Director of Kenya Power (KP)  Bernard Ngugi has left the company barely two years after his appointment.

The Cabinet Secretary for Energy Charles Keter has confirmed that Ngugi has stepped down as MD and had not given reasons for the exit.

The Board has appointed Rosemary Oduor to act as MD. 

About Rosemary Oduor

Ms Oduor, an engineer by profession, is the General Manager, Commercial Services and Sales at Kenya Power. 

In 2018, the then MD Ken Tarus was among several top managers who were suspended and later charged with corruption over a Sh4.5 billion scandal that involved the irregular awarding of tenders for the supply of transformers.

The investigation by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations also touched Tarus’ predecessor Ben Chumo.

The power firm has struggled financially after being hit by scandals that saw a high turnover of top managers. KP reported a net loss of Sh939 million in the year to June 2020, from a profit of Sh262 million the previous year, due to power leakages, declining revenues and adverse effects of Covid-19.

Ngugi leaves the power distributor after more than a 30-years stint and was one of only three top managers who survived 2019’s corruption clean-up.

Jared Othieno acted as MD for less than a year before Ngugi was appointed to the position. Othieno has since joined Geothermal Development Company as MD.

Kenya Power has also been facing a backlash from its customers, with 2018’s complaints of backdated charges and alleged overbilling among consumer issues that the new boss will have to deal with.

It is one of the 18 state corporations that have been identified by the National Treasury for restructuring following a recommendation from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The IMF reckons that these companies have been a burden to the taxpayers with the National Treasury always bailing them out, a situation that has denied the public other critical services.