Muturi orders inquiry into ownership of power producers

Lewis Njoka @LewisNjoka

The National Assembly ordered an inquiry yesterday to establish ownership and contractual details of 18 independent power producers allegedly selling power to Kenya Power at inflated prices. 

Garissa Town Member of Parliament, Aden Duale had on June 10 requested for a statement from the Ministry of Energy regarding the ownership of the independent power producers as well as the prices at which they sold their power to Kenya Power.

The ministry failed to present the list of directors and shareholders, saying Duale needed a court order for the ownership of the companies to be revealed.

Speaker Justin Muturi yesterday directed National Assembly’s departmental committee on Energy, led by Nakuru Town East MP  David Gikaria, conduct a full enquiry and report to the house.

“Yours is a departmental committee, but now you will have to convert yourself to do an inquiry with all the powers to summon, call before you, and if they fail, report here and we will show you how we will drag them into the place,” Muturi said.

Under my watch

“The response about Duale going to court we will not allow it. Not under my watch,” he added.

Additionally, he ordered that registrar of companies be summoned before the committee to give CR12, which detail the owners of a company, for all the companies involved.

He observed that the matters raised by Duale were serious and could derail the attainment of the big four agenda if no addressed.

Duale said the companies owned by prominent people in the country were fleecing Kenyans selling power to Kenya Power by as much as 15 times what Kengen charged.