Energy Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir halts hiring of Kengen MD

By  Geoffrey Mosoku

NAIROBI, KENYA: Energy Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir has halted the recruitment of a new Managing Director at the Kenya Electricity Generating Company (Kengen).

Chirchir has written to the Kengen board asking the process to hire Eddy Njoroge’s replacement be stopped immediately until the new PS assumes office.

“As you are aware, the Ministry will have a new PS before the end of June succeeding outgoing Permanent Secretary Patrick Nyoike. Given this new development, it’s crucial for Mr Nyoike’s successor to participate in interviewing the candidates shortlisted. Accordingly, you should have the proposed Board interviews rescheduled to the second week of July, 2013,” Chirchir’s letter dated June 13, to Kengen Chairman Titus Mbathi reads.

However, sources indicated the Cabinet Secretary’s letter comes following a bitter exchange of correspondences between the Ministry and Mbathi over the fate of Njoroge whose term expired on May 23.

The source, who cannot be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, and who is privy to the boardroom wars, says Chirchir has suspended the recruitment to prevent any scenario where Njoroge will sit in the interview panel and influence the appointment of his replacement.

The Standard has seen correspondences between Chirchir, PS Nyoike and Mbathi, some signaling a bitter feud between Mbathi and Nyoike.

The board wrote to the Ministry seeking an extension of three months, after the Kengen’s boss term expired on March 25 but it was rejected.

Instead, PS Nyoike wrote to Kengen on April 23 communicating Njoroge’s extension of term for a period of two months commencing March 25, 2013. 

On May 28, Mbathi convened a Board meeting, which resolved that Njoroge’s term would end on June 30, as per an earlier decision of the Board that sat in mid-December last year.  When contacted, Chirchir said his letter to Kengen was meant to ensure a smooth transition.

“I don’t not have any agenda other than to oversee a smooth transition that would not affect the trading of Kengen shares at the NSE,” he said.