KenGen appoints first woman CEO

Kenya Electricity Generating Company Limited (KenGen) has confirmed Mrs Rebecca Miano as the Managing Director and CEO. Making the announcement, KenGen Chairman Mr Joshua Choge said they picked Mrs Miano after she emerged top among 91 applicants, five of whom were shortlisted for an interview by a Human Resources consulting firm.

She becomes the first woman to head the company since its inception in 1954.

Mrs Miano, who joined KenGen in 1998 and has worked in various capacities including senior legal officer, Assistant Company Secretary, and Company Secretary & Legal Affairs Director, will take over from Albert Mugo who retired in August after attaining the 60 years age limit.

Until her appointment as MD & CEO, Mrs Miano was responsible for driving the corporate governance agenda in the company, providing guidance and support to the Board and has been the secretary to the board and all its committees.

Mrs Miano, who had been appointed acting Managing Director & CEO in August when Mugo retired,  is expected to carry on the campaign of adding power generated from cheap and renewable sources including geothermal and wind, with the firm already in plans to add 720 megawatts to the national grid by 2020 at a cost of Ksh 240 billion.

“We expect the new CEO to progress the work of Eng. Albert Mugo by working with the rest of the team at KenGen to meet the growth and sustain the momentum of the ongoing transformation,” said Mr Choge.

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“The Board is confident that Mrs Miano’s skills and wealth of experience, having worked in the company for the past 19 years, will help drive KenGen forward and position it as a leader in the energy sector,” he added.

Mugo’s first three-year tenure in office ended early this year and he was given a one-year extension, effective January 2017.

Under Mugo, KenGen has substantially grown electricity generation through geothermal and has overseen the growth of the firm’s installed capacity from about 1200 megawatts when he took to the current 1 630MW.

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Mrs Miano is a respected lawyer with an illustrious career in law and corporate governance. She holds a Bachelor of Laws Degree with Honors, a Diploma in Law and post-graduate studies in Comparative Law.

She is a member of the Institute of Certified Public Secretaries of Kenya (ICPSK) and the Law Society of Kenya (LSK)

She also holds the decoration of Order of the Grand Warrior.