The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) appointed Dr Joseph Oketch as its acting director general following the resignation of Director General Daniel Kiptoo Bargoria.
EPRA board made the announcement on Sunday following a meeting.
EPRA said its board received Bargoria’s resignation on Saturday April 4 afternoon and thanked him for what it termed dedicated service, wishing him well in his future endeavors.
“We, importantly, assure the country and the stakeholders of the stability of the Authority and that the Authority remains steady in effectively and sustainably regulating the energy sector,” the statement signed by board chairperson Adan Haji Ali reads.
The authority said the appointment of Oketch was made in view of EPRA’s crucial and strategic mandate as Kenya’s regulator for the energy sector, including setting and reviewing electricity and petroleum tariffs, licensing industry players, enforcing safety and quality standards and protecting consumers.
EPRA said Oketch currently heads the Electricity and Renewable Energy Directorate, where he oversees the formulation, review and monitoring of regulations, standards and codes for the electrical and renewable energy sub-sectors.
According to the board, Oketch has over 25 years’ experience in the energy sector and previously served in senior roles at Kenya Power and the Rural Electrification Authority (REA) before joining EPRA about 10 years ago.
His academic qualifications include a BSc in Electrical Engineering (University of Nairobi), an MBA in Strategic Management (Kenyatta University), a Postgraduate Diploma in Project Planning and Management (University of Nairobi) and a PhD in Strategic Management (Kenyatta University).
EPRA said he is a member of the Institute of Engineers of Kenya (IEK) and the Kenya Institute of Management (KIM), and is a registered professional engineer with the Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK).
The board said it was confident Oketch would “effectively steer the Authority” in the acting capacity, and assured stakeholders of the stability of the regulator.
Four senior government officials resigned following their arrest over an alleged irregular fuel procurement deal that is now under investigation for possible economic crimes.
In a statement issued by Head of Public Service Felix Koskei, the government said the controversy stems from the manipulation of national fuel stock data, which created a false impression of an impending shortage.
The officials who resigned include Principal Secretary for Petroleum Mohamed Liban, Managing Director of Kenya Pipeline Company Joe Sang, and Director General of the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority Daniel Kiptoo Bargoria.
Joseph Wafula (deputy director of Petroleum) also resigned.
Administrative actions have been initiated against Joel Mburu (supply and logistics manager).
According to the government, the alleged falsification of fuel stock data led to the procurement of an emergency fuel shipment at inflated prices and outside the established Government-to-Government (G2G) fuel supply framework.
The cargo is also reported to have been of substandard quality.
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