CS Munya ignores board and picks new KEBS chief

Industry, Trade and Cooperatives Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya (pictured) has appointed Numerical Machining Complex Chief Executive Officer Benard Njiraini as the acting managing director of Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS).

The appointment comes two months after the board completed interviews and forwarded three names to him.

Mr Njiraini takes over from Mr Benard Nguyo, who was also in acting position and goes back to his position as KEBS quality assurance officer where he had served for seven years.

In a letter to KEBS staff, National Standards Council Chairman Ken Wathome informed the employees that Njiraini had been picked by Munya (pictured) from May 27 to take over from Nguyo.

“In the meantime I also take this opportunity to congratulate Mr Njiriani on his appointment and assure him of National Standards Council’s full support as he comes to lead KEBS,” read part of the letter.

In acting capacity

Njiraini was in January appointed by Munya as MD of the Numerical Machining Complex Limited, for a period of three years.

He becomes the third acting KEBS MD after the exit of the substantive CEO Charles Ongwae, now facing charges of attempted murder and abuse of office.

Ongwae,and seven other senior officials from the organisation and Kenya Revenue Authority were charged with attempted murder and abuse of office after the okeyed the release the fertiliser that was shipped from Morocco by OCP (K) Ltd, which is suspected to contain mercury and believed to have been sold in Narok and Eldoret.

Prior to Nguyo’s appointment to an acting position in June 2018, Industrialisation and Trade CS Adan Mohamed had appointed Kenya Investment Authority Chief Executive Dr Moses Ikiara as the acting MD.