Senior officials from State-owned power agencies are jostling to head the Geothermal Development Company (GDC), which is hunting for a new boss.

Chief Executive Johnson ole Nchoe is on his way out after the board declined to renew his contract for another three-year term over poor performance.

GDC yesterday published a list of eight candidates shortlisted for the position that includes Nuclear Power and Energy Agency CEO Collins Juma, whose current mandate entails paving Kenya’s road to nuclear energy by 2027.

Another candidate is Jared Othieno, who acted as CEO at Kenya Power for more than a year after a purge on corruption saw senior managers ousted. His role at the power distributor is unclear after the board appointed Bernard Ngugi to the top seat.

Other senior officials eyeing the GDC job include KenGen’s Finance and ICT Director John Mudany and Esther Ruto, general manager, technical services at the Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation.

Also shortlisted are four GDC insiders. The firm said it had received 64 applications after it advertised for the position of managing director.