Engineer Kipkemoi Kibias has come under fresh scrutiny after questions emerged over how long he has remained in the acting Managing Director position at the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (Ketraco).
As first highlighted by Kenya Insights, the matter has raised concerns about compliance with public service laws, recruitment procedures, and governance at one of Kenya’s most important state corporations responsible for electricity transmission.
According to the claims, Kibias has been serving as acting Managing Director since September 19, 2025. The Public Service Commission Act limits acting appointments to a maximum of six months.
Based on that timeline, his acting term is said to have expired in March 2026. Despite this, he has continued serving in the position for several more months, prompting questions over whether his continued stay is lawful.
The issue reached the Public Service Commission after a petition was filed by Felix Willium Nandi.
In a letter dated July 16, 2026, the Commission’s Chief Executive Officer, Paul Famba, directed Ketraco Board Chairman Capt. Mohamed Abdi to respond to the concerns within 14 days.
Among the issues raised in the petition is a request for the recovery of acting allowances and other payments allegedly received after the legal period for acting appointments had expired.
Attention has also shifted to the recruitment process for a substantive Managing Director. Ketraco reportedly delayed advertising the position for several months after the departure of former Managing Director Dr. John Mativo.
When the vacancy was finally advertised in April 2026, the recruitment process quickly attracted criticism.
The advertisement reportedly introduced additional qualifications that were not listed in the Government-Owned Enterprises Act, 2025.
These included a Master’s degree, higher experience requirements, and mandatory Credit Reference Bureau clearance.
Critics argued that these extra conditions could have reduced the number of qualified applicants instead of encouraging open competition.
A Nairobi law firm challenged the advertisement through a demand letter, arguing that it failed to comply with the law. Ketraco later withdrew the advertisement and issued a revised version in May.
However, the petition further alleges that Kibias played a role in cancelling the first advertisement, although this claim has not been officially confirmed.
The controversy comes against the backdrop of unresolved questions surrounding the departure of former Managing Director Dr. John Mativo.
Reports have linked his removal to internal audit findings involving alleged corruption, procurement irregularities, and financial losses running into billions of shillings.
However, Ketraco has never publicly released a detailed explanation confirming these allegations or outlining any recoveries or disciplinary action beyond his exit.
Ketraco’s board has also faced legal challenges over its composition. Earlier this year, the High Court temporarily stopped the reappointment of some board members following claims that the company’s senior leadership did not reflect constitutional requirements on diversity.
Although that petition was later dismissed on technical grounds, the concerns themselves were never fully addressed.
A separate court case in June also suspended the appointments of three board members after questions were raised over how they had been appointed.
The court further suspended board resolutions made in their presence from the date of their appointment, adding to concerns over the company’s governance.
Financial accountability has also remained under the spotlight.
During an appearance before Parliament’s Public Investment Committee in February, Kibias was questioned over a reported Sh75.6 million difference between Ketraco’s financial records and those of Kenya Power.
Lawmakers also sought answers regarding Sh2.3 billion in unpaid compensation owed to landowners affected by electricity transmission projects.
In another development, a senior Ketraco manager who had been placed on compulsory leave under Kibias’s administration successfully challenged the decision in court and was reinstated.
The ruling raised further questions about management decisions during Kibias’s tenure as acting chief executive.
The concerns have become even more significant because Ketraco continues to oversee major infrastructure investments.
The company recently announced plans for five electricity transmission projects valued at up to Sh65 billion under public-private partnership arrangements. It had also previously signed a Sh40.4 billion transmission project involving Africa50 and India’s POWERGRID.
These are major long-term projects that require strong governance and leadership with clear legal authority.
As the Public Service Commission reviews the petition and Ketraco’s response, attention is now focused on whether the acting appointment complied with the law and whether public institutions followed the required procedures.
Whatever the final decision, the case has sparked a wider conversation about accountability, transparency, and governance within Kenya’s state corporations.
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