Kenya Power top officials deny graft charges

Kenya Power Managing Director Ken Tarus, predecessor Ben Chumo and nine other senior managers when they appeared in court on July 16, 2018. PHOTO | ODPP

What you need to know:

  • Dr Tarus surrendered himself to police on Sunday evening and was held at Muthaiga Police Station overnight.

Kenya Power Managing Director Ken Tarus, his predecessor Ben Chumo and nine senior managers at the power company were on Monday arraigned at an anti-corruption court in Nairobi.

They all denied more than six charges of economic crimes, abuse of office and conspiracy to defeat justice in purchase of substandard transformers worth over Sh409 million.

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On Saturday, the Director of Public Prosecution Noordin Haji ordered the arrest of the firm’s managers over procurement of defective transformers and irregularities in prequalifying 525 companies for labour and transport contracts.

Dr Tarus surrendered himself to police on Sunday evening and was held at Muthaiga Police Station overnight.

They were charged charged with conspiracy to defraud contrary to section 317 of the penal code, conspiracy to commit an offence of economic crime contrary to Section 47 A (3), abuse of office, wilful failure to comply with law relating to procurement and conspiracy to defeat justice.

On Monday afternoon, the board of Kenya Power assured the country of no disruption in operations at the electricity distributor following arrests of senior managers over irregular supply of transformers.

It had sparked fears of a paralysis of operations at the monopoly power distributor.

“The board wishes to reassure members of the public, customers, shareholders, development partners and other stakeholders that operations of the business have not and will not be affected,” the chairman Mahboub Maalim said in a statement.

“The board further wishes to inform all stakeholders that the company has in place a business continuity strategy hence all operations will continue normally. The board is confident that the operational strategy allows normal business to continue.”