A woman yesterday moved to the Employment and Labour Relations Court to challenge the recent appointment of Bernard Ngugi as the Kenya Power managing director.

Under a certificate of urgency, Maureen Nyambura Warui wants the court to suspend the appointment of Ngugi.

Through lawyer Samuel Ndung’u, she argues that Ngugi has integrity issues relating to the procurement of transformers when he was the General Manager Supply Chain.

Nyambura has also questioned the fairness and impartiality of the selection process and in effect the suitability of Ngugi, who was appointed the MD on October 29.

 “The appointment of Ngugi was done despite him formerly serving as the General Manager Supply Chain of Kenya Power, in which capacity he was actively involved, presided over and headed the office that oversaw an allegedly flawed procurement and tendering process for supply of transformers by Muwa traders,” says the petitioner in the court documents.

Nyambura also wants the court to suspend the notice by the Board of Directors of KP appointing Ngugi as the MD and CEO of the company and further restrain him from performing, acting and discharging duties related or attached to the officer of the MD.

She claims that Ngugi was affected by the presidential directive issued on June 1, 2018 requiring public officers among them all heads of procurements and accounting units in Ministries and State corporations to step aside to facilitate fresh vetting.  

Nyambura adds that there is also ambiguity around how Ngugi was cleared by the EACC to vie for the public office at the firm.