Energy CS Keter asked to resign over Kenya Power scandal

A civil society group in Kisii County is calling for the resignation of Energy Cabinet Secretary Charles Keter following the recent arrest and subsequent arraignment of senior Kenya Power officials over corruption charges.

Suspended Kenya Power Managing Director Ken Tarus, his predecessor Ben Chumo and 17 other officials of the electricity company were on Tuesday released on bail after spending four nights in police cells.

The Secretary of Kisii County Governance Watch Group, Rachel Otundo, said the CS and his Principal Secretary should be accountable to the public since the alleged corruption was committed under their watch.

Otundo said unlike in the past when Ministers were also Members of Parliament, the current CSs are in office full time and should be able to monitor what is happening in their ministries as well as parastatals under them.

The secretary said the two should leave office so as to serve as a wake-up call to other Cabinet Secretaries and other senior government officials.

“The Energy PS as well as CS should both step aside because they were in office when the scandals took place.

“If they cannot step aside then they should be released of their duties because they did not perform their jobs well,” said Otundo.

Otundo’s comments come barely two days after CS Keter’s outburst at a press conference where he announced new Kenya Power appointees o replace those charged in court.

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.

“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,” 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.

The CS got to the names and was still hesitant, choosing to announce the interim CEO’s name at the rear end of his address (almost leaving it out).

Engineer Jared Otieno was announced as the Kenya Power acting managing director and chief executive officer.