Court reinstates Oimeke as Epra boss

ERPA Director-General Pavel Oimeke. [Standard, File]

The High Court has reinstated Pavel Oimeke as the Director-General of the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (Epra).

In a ruling Wednesday, Justice Hellen Wasilwa noted that the case had been lodged long after the reappointment of Oimeke as director-general and hence it had been overtaken by events.

“It is therefore my finding that this petition is found to be without merit. I, therefore, dismiss it in its entirety and order the status quo of the first respondent reinstated immediately,” she said.

Emmanuel Wanjala had gone to the Employment and Labour Relations Court in July, challenging the renewal of his term, arguing the reappointment should not be automatic but ought to be a competitive process.

Oimeke had sought a contract renewal and on March 25 this year, the board met and recommended his reappointment. He was reappointed to his position as director-general of Epra on May 7 by the CS Energy

The court barred the Epra Board and the Energy Ministry from discussing the renewal of his contract, which led to the board asking him to step aside on August 14.

Justice Wasilwa on Wednesday noted that the order to have Oimeke step aside had been overtaken by events as his reappointment had already been concluded.

“It has now emerged that at the time, the second, third, fourth and fifth respondents had already considered the first respondent’s appointment as director-general and even reappointed him. The order was then overtaken by events,” she said.