John Mativo, the Managing Director of Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (Ketraco) has been sacked nearly a year before the completion of his initial three-year term.
Dr Mativo, who was appointed to this role in April 2023, has been replaced by Kipkemoi Kibias, who will lead Ketraco in an acting role until the recruitment of a substantive Managing Director.
The reasons behind his forced exit remain undisclosed and come at a time when the State-owned firm has been aggressively pushing to build a number of critical transmission and distribution lines via the Public Private Partnership (PPP).
“The board of directors would like to appreciate the outgoing Managing Director/CEO, Dr John Muoki Mativo for his invaluable service and contribution to the company. We wish him well in his future endeavors,” Mohamed Abdi, the chairman of the board of directors of Ketraco said on Friday, September 19.
Mr Abdi did not disclose why the board opted to part ways with Mr Mativo, nearly a year before the end of his initial three-year term. Dr Mativo had replaced Mr Fernandes Barasa, who resigned and joined politics, where he was elected as the Governor of Kakamega County in 2022.
Like other Managing Directors of State-owned firms, Dr Mativo was in line for a possible renewal of his term by three years, subject to performance. Dr Mativo joined Ketraco in 2010 and served in different roles before his appointment to lead the company two years ago.
Mr Kibias has been the General Manager, System Operation & Power Management at Ketraco. He holds a Master's Degree in Nuclear Power Plant Engineering from KEPCO International Nuclear Graduate School – KINGS, Ulsan, South Korea.
At the time of his exit, Mr Mativo was spearheading Ketraco's quest to build the 208.73-kilometre 400kilovolts (kV) Gilgil-Thika-Malaa-Konza line, which will be critical in easing pressure on the line that evacuates power from the Olkaria geothermal wells to Nairobi.
The line was one of those affected following the cancellation of the controversial deal that Ketraco had signed with the embattled Indian conglomerate, Adani Group, last year.
The deal was cancelled later in November after the owner of the conglomerate, Gautam Adani, was indicted in the US over bribery allegations running into billions of shillings.
Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (Ketraco) Managing Director and CEO John Mativo appears before the Public Investment Committee on Commercial Affairs and Energy at the Continental House in Nairobi on July 29, 2025.
Photo credit: Dennis Onsongo | Nation Media Group
Ketraco is currently working with an advisory group of the World Bank to draw a fresh procurement plan for the Gilgil-Thika-Malaa-Konza line.
Additionally, under Mr Mativo's watch, Ketraco inked an agreement where Tanzania will use Ketraco’s network to import hydropower from Ethiopia. Ketraco will earn an estimated Sh800 million annually as wheeling charges in this power import deal.
