A consultancy firm owned by former Kenya Power managing director Ben Chumo has bagged a Sh20 million contract to develop a tool to guide the utility firm in hiring and retaining top talent.
Eagle HR Consultants Limited, co-founded by Mr Chumo, started the work on August 26, according to information posted on the Public Procurement Information Portal.
Kenya Power advertised the tender for the development of the tool in May this year, after internal approvals were secured in April.
Mr Chumo served as Kenya Power’s chief manager for human resources and administration for 12 years until December 2012, when he was promoted to the position of managing director.
He served as the utility’s boss for four years until he was removed in January 2017. He then set up Eagle HR Consultants to offer human resources advisory services.
According to Kenya Power’s internal brief, the tool to be developed will help the firm improve efficiency and streamline the talent sourcing process at a time when many firms are struggling to attract and retain talent that fits their strategy and vision.
Kenya Power General Manager for HR and Administration, Cecilia Kalungu-Uvyu, had written to the CEO in March seeking approval for a Sh15 million budget to develop the tool, saying that it would, among other things, optimise the hiring process, improve the quality of hires, identify career development gaps and aid in succession planning.
“Talent assessment tools serve a critical purpose in modern business by helping to identify and develop the right talent for specific roles with the organisation,” she said.
The general manager confirmed that the employee resourcing departmental budget was Sh30 million, paving the way for the tender that Mr Chumo’s firm won.
Kenya Power closed the year, which ended June 2024, with 10,437 employees, marking the second consecutive year of growth in the headcount. The number had dipped to 9,655 in the financial year ended June 2022, before recovering to 10,018 the following year.
The latest headcount is 2,982 below the approved optimal establishment of 13,419, given the growing number of customers that the utility firm serves.
