CS Keter bemoans arrest of top Kenya Power officials

After an anxious wait on Kenya Power in regards to the unveiling of the new managerial appointments for the better part of Monday, Kenyans finally got their wish late in the day as the power distributor organized a rather hastily orchestrated press briefing at their Stima Plaza headquarters.

Central to the gathering was the announcement of the interim team with much interest being generated around the chief executive officer position.

Energy cabinet secretary Charles Keter finally took to the podium alongside Kenya Power Chairman Maalim Mohammed to address the elephant in the room but no one could have anticipated the resulting remarks from the energy boss.

Tasked with reading out the list of appointees, a visibly irate and rather unsettled Charles Keter instead begun by expressing anger and fury at the arrest of the top Kenya Power officials over the weekend going as far as comparing the scenario to the demise of the entire Zambian national soccer team in the infamous 1993 plane crash.

“It’s such a difficult time for me to even talk when we have a team of competent and intelligent engineers in court. We have lost the best. That I’ll say at any forum,” a sombre Keter said.

A melancholic Keter went on to further defend his ‘competent’ team going as much as taking up the matter at a personal level by suggesting that he would carry the cross for the innocent ones amongst the arrested officials.

“Anything can happen to anybody. Sometimes you say, I wish I could be a sacrificial lamb for all of the officials. This is really painful, I have met and interacted with the entire team. I know them,” Keter went on with his rant.

Even with that, an increasingly irritable Keter took his time to express his disappointment in the manner at which the officials were netted at the weekend by terming it as inhumane, and even had suggestions to as to how arrests should be carried out.

“Even a phone call works, like if you want me, you can call, if I’m missing you can call my wife or security and ask that I record a statement or face the law,” Keter added.

Keter got to the names and still was hesitant, choosing to announce the interim CEO’s name at the rear end of his address (almost leaving it out), but the rubber had to hit the road at this point, Jared Otieno was announced as the group’s acting managing director and chief executive officer.

Mr Otieno is expected to steer Kenya Power’s ship into clear waters for an interim period of 90 days even as the firm get’s to the bottom of the alleged scam involving the procurement of faulty transformers and issuance of labor and transport contracts.

Kenya Power has insisted on the need for the continuation of day to day operations saying consumers maintain their right to the provision of key power distribution services even as firm copes with the managerial disruption.

“While we have empathy for our officials who are currently in court and have gone through an unprecedented scenario, we still have business to do and the company has to run,” Mr Mohamed said.