Power producer Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) has begun the search for the replacement of outgoing chief executive Albert Mugo.
The company, which generates about 80 per cent of electricity consumed in Kenya, said the new chief executive would assume office in August this year. This means Eng Mugo’s one-year extension could be cut to eight months.
Mugo’s first three-year tenure in office ended early this year and he was given a one-year extension, effective January 2017. He will hit the retirement age of 60 years this year.
The new chief is expected to carry on the campaign of adding power generated from cheap and renewable sources including geothermal and wind, with the firm already in plans to add 720 megawatts to the national grid by 2020 at a cost of Sh240 billion.
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“In order to meet the growth and sustain the momentum of the ongoing transformation, the board of KenGen wishes to identify and recruit a top-notch managing director and CEO to progress the work of the outgoing incumbent,” indicated an advert by the company published in the local dailies.
“The candidate will be expected to assume office by August 2017.”
Under Mugo, KenGen has substantially grown electricity generation through geothermal and has overseen the growth of the firm’s installed capacity from about 1200 megawatts when he took to the current 1 630MW
KenGen has procured the services of consultancy firm PKF to undertake the recruitment of the new CEO.
Power vacuum
The move is expected to see the electricity generator company avoid a power vacuum that has hit Government-run energy institutions, after the chief executive posts in a number of the organisations fell vacant.
A number of key parastatals housed by the Ministry of Energy are currently being run by acting chief executives following the exit of the former bosses due to a mix of factors including retirement due to age.
Energy agencies currently being run by acting chief executives include the Energy Regulatory Commission, Kenya Power, Kenya Nuclear Electricity Board, National Oil Corporation of Kenya (KPRL) and Kenya Petroleum Refinery (KPRL).
The vacuum in these institutions has cast doubt as to the timely delivery of critical energy projects, many of them are critical to the economy.
