Ken Tarus named new Kenya Power boss

Kenya Power has appointed Dr Ken Tarus as the company’s Acting Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer.

Dr Tarus’ appointment takes effect on January 4, 2017.

He takes over from Dr Ben Chumo whose tenure expires on Friday, January 6, 2017.

Dr Chumo has been the head of the Company since January 2014.

Dr Tarus, 46, brings with him over 20 years’ corporate leadership and management experience, five of which arein the energy sector. Prior to his appointment, he was the Company’s General Manager in charge of Finance and a member of the executive management team for a period of two years.

Previously, he worked at the Rural Electrification Authority as head of Finance between 2012 and 2014 prior to which he was the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Finance, Planning and Administration at KCA University.

He has held various leadership roles in the local banking sector as Head of Finance, IT and Administration at Bank of Africa, Financial Controller at Standard Chartered Bank and diverse positions at Kenya Commercial Bank.

He holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Business Administration (Finance) from Kabarak University, an MBA from the University of Nairobi and a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from the same institution. Dr. Tarus is a Certified Public Accountant and a member of the Kenya Institute of Management.

Kenya Power Chairman, Kenneth Marende, said the Board of Directors is confident that business operations of the Company will continue to run smoothly under the interim leadership of Dr Tarus pending a competitive sourcing for a substantive Managing Director.

“With full responsibility for the leadership and development of the Kenya Power’s electricity distribution business, Dr. Tarus will play a key role in entrenching the Company as a leader in electricity subsector by aggressively pursuing its business growth and diversification strategy,” Marende said.