KenInvest boss appointed acting Kebs MD to replace Charles Ongwae

KenInvest MD Moses Ikiara. FILE PHOTO | NMG 

By BONFACE OTIENO

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Summary

• Moses Ikiara has been appointed acting MD for a three-month period with immediate effect.
• The new appointment at the standards agency comes barely a few days after the arrest of Mr Ongwae and nine others senior officials over the importation of substandard fertiliser laced with mercury and circulation of fake Kebs stamps.
• DPP Noordin Haji said OCP Kenya Limited from Morocco imported compound fertiliser weighing 5,846,000 kilogrammes which upon testing failed to meet Kebs standards.

Industry, Trade and Cooperatives Cabinet Secretary Adan Mohamed has appointed Kenya Investment Authority chief executive Moses Ikiara as acting managing director of the Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs).

In a letter dated June 26 addressed to Kebs chairman Mugambi Imanyara, Mr Ikiara has been appointed for a three-month period with immediate effect.

“Following the recent events at the Kenya Bureau of Standards, a decision has been reached to appoint Dr Moses Ikiara as the acting managing director of the Kenya Bureau of Standards for a duration of three months with immediate effect,” said Mr Mohamed in the letter.

The new appointment at the standards agency comes barely a few days after the arrest of Mr Ongwae and nine others senior officials over the importation of substandard fertiliser suspected to be laced with mercury and circulation of fake Kebs stamps.

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List of suspects

The nine were picked by sleuths from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations last week.

They included Eric Chesire Kiptoo, the director of quality assurance at Kebs; Mr Peter Kinyanjui, the inspection manager at the Kilindini Port and Mr Martin Musyanya, the Kebs Coast regional manager.

Others were Mr Pole Mwangemi, the port health officer at Kilindini; Mr Erick Kariuki, the supervisor of customs at the Kenya Revenue Authority and Mr Benson Oduor, a clearing agent with Bolloré Transport and Logistics Kenya Ltd.

Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji said OCP Kenya Limited from Morocco imported compound fertiliser weighing 5,846,000 kilogrammes which upon testing failed to meet Kebs standards.

OCP has so far issued a statement suspending exportation of fertiliser to Kenya citing “serious operational challenges and risks arising from unfounded accusations, which are based on opportunistic and defamatory public denunciations.”