KCB's Joshua Oigara appointed ERC chairman
What you need to know:
- Mr Oigara takes over from Emma Kiilu, an electrical engineer who has held the same position for six years. She was preceded by Hindpal Jabbal, also an electrical engineer.
President Uhuru Kenyatta has appointed KCB Group chief executive Joshua Oigara as the chairman of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).
The change comes at a time of great expectation on the energy sector regulator to reduce the cost of energy that has been a major barrier to both foreign and local investments in the country.
"Uhuru Kenyatta, President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces, appoint Joshua Nyamweya Oigara to be the Chairperson of the Energy Regulatory Commission, for a period of four (4) years, with effect from the 18th March, 2016," states the March 18, Gazette notice.
Last month, energy and petroleum Cabinet Secretary Charles Keter directed the ERC to revise its pricing formula in order to reduce the cost of fuel so that consumers can fully benefit from the drop in international oil prices.
The ERC has also been challenged to ensure that licences for generating renewable power are processed quickly to reduce the cost of electricity.
ERC Director-General Joseph Ng’ang’ said Mr Oigara's expertise in finance was needed to dilute the dominance of engineering skills in the board.
“We needed a person with training in finance to have the diversity that is recommended for boards of parastatals,” Mr Nga’ang’a told the Nation in a telephone interview.
There are five engineers currently on the board of the ERC and one representative each from the fields of ICT, law and chemistry.
Mr Oigara takes over from Emma Kiilu, an electrical engineer who had held the same position for six years. She was preceded by Hindpal Jabbal, also an electrical engineer.
