Companies

Joe Sang returns to Kenya Pipeline as managing director

Kenya Pipeline Company md Joe Sang. 

Joe Sang has been reappointed as the Kenya Pipeline Company Managing Director. FILE PHOTO | NMG

Joe Sang has been reappointed as the Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) managing director, returning him to the position after he was cleared of alleged corruption charges in December.

He takes over from Dr Macharia Irungu, whose contract the board declined to renew, ending his three-year tenure at the State corporation.

Mr Sang first returned to KPC as the acting MD in January after a Nairobi court cleared him of corruption charges over the construction of the Sh1.9 billion Kisumu Oil jetty.

The High Court then temporarily suspended the reappointment following a case filed by the Law Society of Kenya.

Read: Court suspends reappointment of Joe Sang' as KPC boss

“On behalf of the board of directors of Kenya Pipeline Company, I am pleased to announce the appointment of Mr Joe Sang as the managing director after emerging top in the just concluded recruitment process,” said KPC board chair Faith Boinett in a statement Tuesday.

“Mr Sang’s contract will be for a fresh term of four years, renewable subject to performance.”

Mr Sang and other senior managers of KPC were arrested on December 7, 2018, and charged with implementing the Kisumu oil jetty project, which cost taxpayers an alleged loss of Sh1.9 billion.

The court ruled that no funds were lost and that the project was well-planned.

Read: Freedom for ex-Kenya Pipeline MD acquitted of corruption

KPC is one of the largest and most important State-owned firms, building and maintaining infrastructure, including pipelines for supplying the country with petroleum products.

Mr Sang was first appointed the managing director of KPC towards the end of April 2016.

But his tenure was cut short after he was forced to resign in December 2018 under what he terms as immense pressure from the then board of directors.

Dr Irungu took over at KPC in January 2020, replacing Mr Hudson Andambi, who had served as the acting MD since December 2018 following the arrest of Mr Sang.

Mr Sang holds an MBA from the University of Nairobi & CPA (K) with extensive international training in governance and leadership in energy, among other fields.

He has previously worked at National Oil, Unga Group, East African Breweries Plc and KPC.

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