Kenya Power outgoing CEO Ben Chumo has said he is leaving
voluntarily after reaching retirement age.
This comes after the appointment of Finance general manager Ken Tarus in an acting capacity, overturning a previous attempt to renew Chumo’s term.
“I turned 60 on July 11, and so I have had a bonus from then up to now. A second term would have not been possible even if I needed it. So I knew all the while I was going to retire at 60,” Chumo said during the handing over in Nairobi.
Chumo, whose contract ends on Friday, exits the company after serving a three-year term as CEO and group managing director since January 7, 2014. He was appointed acting CEO on June 27, 2013, when he replaced engineer Joseph Njoroge, who was
appointed Energy PS, before being confirmed.
KPLC chairman Kenneth Marende said, “For the record, Ben Chumo retired voluntarily from public service on January 1, 2014. Since then he was employed by Kenya Power on contract, which is due to expire on January 6, 2017.”
Chumo had in a letter dated June 12 2016, requested the board for another three-year term to take effect from January 7, 2017.
The court, however, on November 24, 2016, stopped the renewal, following an application by activist Okiya Omtatah.
Omtatah said Chumo should have vacated office on July 11 2016, upon attaining the government’s mandatory retirement age of 60.
Justice Nelson Abuodha ordered Energy CS Charles Keter not to act on a letter sent to him by the board, seeking to consider Chumo for another term.
Chumo yesterday said the company has achieved a lot during his tenure. He cited
grid expansion, growth in customer base and reliability of power supply.
Elsewhere, the Kenya Electricity Generating Company board has extended CEO Albert Mugo’s term by
one year, with effect from January 4, 2017.
“Engineer Mugo has steered the company in the growth of generation capacity in geothermal and wind to the current KenGen installed total capacity of 1,640MW which is about 70 per cent
of the national generating capacity,” chairman Joshua choge said.
Chumo was born on July 11, 1956.He should have left office on that date last year.