Kebs ignores CEO position short list

Kebs chairman Karanja Thiong’o said they wanted to be more directly involved in the recruitment.

“The National Standards Council (which runs the bureau) would wish to be held accountable by selecting the very best candidate,” said Dr Thiong’o, adding that they had not carried out interviews.

The contract with KPMG allowed the firm to advertise and carry out the interviews.

The fresh recruitment of a Kebs managing director has stirred controversy as KPMG chief executive Mr Josephat Mwaura on Tuesday said they carried out interviews for the position and submitted a report that contained names of several short listed candidates to the board of directors.

“I’m not in a position to discuss a specific client, but we always conduct our recruitment process with the highest integrity. Kebs is in a better position to say why they rejected our professional advice,” said Mr Mwaura.

Kebs hired KPMG Kenya in March to recruit a new managing director to replace Dr Kioko Mang’eli, who was sacked in September last year under a cloud of controversy surrounding the appointment of a fuel inspection company Geo Chem Middle East Company last year.

The company introduced an inspection levy which led to a stand-off in the oil market, pitting the marketers against Kebs, with shortages of fuel and increased pump prices being reported across the country.

Most fuel marketers increased pump prices by between Sh0.40 and Sh1.20 per litre following the introduction of the new fees in March, but have not reduced the prices despite suspension of the fuel inspection fee.

Dr Joel Kioko has been acting in the position since Dr Mang’eli’s exit.

The standards body is responsible for ensuring the quality, reliability and safety of goods.

The managing director is tasked with curbing inflow of sub standards products into Kenya and levelling the playing field for imported and locally produced goods.

The government has appointed an anti counterfeits Agency charged with the responsibility of investigating and prosecuting suspected manufacturers and distributors of counterfeited goods and this will help enforce quality standards of goods consumed in the country.

The new MD is likely to walk into office marred with disputes that have slowed down Kebs.

In September last year, Kebs dropped private sector representatives—the Kenya Association of Manufacturers and the Kenya Private Sector Alliance from the its policy organ, the National Standards Council, a move that stirred debate.

The council’s mandate includes recommending names of persons to be appointed as the Kebs chief executive.

Kebs joins a growing list of state corporations that have come under the spotlight for the way executives are hired or fired, often with parent ministries and the parastatal boards at loggerheads.

The New Kenya Co-operative Creameries sacked Mr Francis Mwangi as CEO after he disagreed with Cooperatives Development minister Joseph Nyaga over the company’s profitability.

Mr Gerald Masila, the man credited with turning around the fortunes of the Kenya Wines Agency - a State-owned liquor distiller, was also kicked out even after the board extended his three year contract.

The CEOs of Kenya Meat Commission and the Youth Development Fund have also been embroiled in storms regarding the tenure of their top management.