Epra board appoints Joseph Oketch as Acting Director-General

The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (Epra) board has appointed in acting capacity Engineer Joseph Oketch as its Director General.

The appointment follows the resignation of Daniel Kiptoo who resigned over the weekend following allegations of manipulation of fuel stock data and irregular procurement practices within the country's petroleum supply chain.

Together with Mr Mohamed Liban, the Principal Secretary for Petroleum and Joe Sang, the Managing Director of the Kenya Pipeline Company, they have allegedly been implicated in the fuel scandal.

“Being cognisant of, and in appreciation of the crucial and strategic mandate and functions of the authority, appointed Dr (Engineer) Joseph Oketch as the acting director-general,” said the Epra board chairperson Adan Haji Ali. “The board thanks the former director-general for the dedicated service to the authority and wishes him well in his future endeavours.”

Until his appointment, Dr Oketch was heading the Electricity and Renewable Energy Directorate and was responsible for overseeing formulation, review and monitoring of regulations, standards and codes for the electrical and renewable energy sub sectors in Kenya.

Dr Oketch brings more than 25 years of experience in the energy sector, according to the board, is a PhD holder in Strategic Management from Kenyatta University.

He also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Nairobi, a Master of business administration from Kenyatta University and a post-graduate Diploma in project planning and management from the University of Nairobi.

Prior to joining Epra a decade ago, he had served in senior positions at Kenya Power and the Rural Electrification Authority.

Dr Oketch is a Member of the Institute of Engineers of Kenya, the Kenya Institute of Management and is a Registered Professional Engineer with the Engineers Board of Kenya.

The resignations of the three key figures in Kenya's energy sector came as the government escalated a full inquiry into the breaches, including the procurement of substandard emergency fuel at inflated prices in violation of the G2G framework.

Investigations on the other two other suspects, Joseph Wafula, the deputy director of petroleum in the Ministry, and Joel Mburu, a supply and logistics manager at KPC have also begun.