Former Minister's appointment at Kenya Petroleum Refineries revoked in mysterious circumstances

The appointment of former Cabinet Minister Suleiman Shakombo as the chairman of the Board of Directors of Kenya Petroleum Refineries Limited was revoked in mysterious circumstances on Friday through a Kenya Gazette notice.

This comes as President Uhuru Kenyatta appointed 14 chairpersons of parastatals boards.

The shocked Mr Shakombo, a former Likoni MP, received the news through the media while attending the corporation’s board meeting in Nairobi.

He immediately blamed “high-level political operatives” for the revocation, saying he believed his opposition to the takeover of the refinery by the Kenya Pipeline Company Limited.

“I have been in Nairobi to attend board meetings for three days now. Was there nobody to at least give me the news of my dismissal? Not a letter, not a short message, no word of mouth,” said the former minister.

He said that he has been fighting to save the refinery, which shut down operations in September 2013, following a disagreement between the government and India’s Essar Energy, who were the two main shareholders.

In the recent appointments, President Kenyatta has once again dipped his hand into the pool of retired politicians and civil servants to head various parastatals boards.

NOAH WEKESA

Top on the list of those appointed is Dr Noah Wekesa, immediate former co-chair of the Jubilee Party steering committee that worked on the merger of parties to form President Kenyatta’s 2017 re-election vehicle.

Dr Wekesa has been appointed on a three-year contract to chair the Sh2.2 billion Strategic Food Reserve Oversight Board.

The strategic fund was launched in April last year.

President Kenyatta also appointed former East African Affairs Principal Secretary John Konchella to chair the board of the National Environment Management Authority.

Mr Konchella was among the three principal secretaries, who were omitted from President Kenyatta’s list when he re-organised his Cabinet last November.

In the changes announced in Friday’s Kenya Gazette, President Kenyatta appointed former Central Bank of Kenya Deputy Governor and Planning Permanent Secretary, Dr Edward Sambili, to chair the board of the Kenya Revenue Authority Board.

A former head of the National Intelligence Service, Major-Gen (rtd) Michael Gichangi, who resigned after security lapses in 2014, has been appointed as the chairperson of the Private Security Regulatory Authority.

The authority will manage the estimated 2,500 private security firms in Kenya.

BOARD'S CHAIR

Similarly, Gen (Rtd) Jackson Waweru has been appointed as the chair of board of directors of the National Transport and Safety Authority to replace Mr Lee Kinyanjui, who has announced his intention to run for the Nakuru governor’s seat.

Lawyer Kioko Kilukumi will now chair the Energy Tribunal, which hears and determines appeals brought against the decisions of the Energy Regulatory Commission.

At the same time, lawyer Nazima Malik of Kaplan and Stratton Advocates was appointed chairperson of the National Legal Aid Service Board.

Egerton University Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Prof Moses Kiprop Limo has been appointed to chair the board of the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation.

Currently, Prof Limo is the director of the university’s Baringo Campus.

Vivo Kenya managing director Polycarp Igathe has been appointed chair of the board of the Special Economic Zones.

Mr Naftali Nyarebo Agata will chair the board of the Kenya Medical Research Institute, replacing Dr Lilian Apadet Osamong. He will serve a three-year term.

Others appointed to chair different boards are Mr Abel Kiplagat Chumba (Mineral Rights Board), Mr Paul Nyamodi (Privatisation Tribunal), and Ms Jennifer Barasa (Tourism Regulatory Authority).