PSC Issues Ultimatum to Ketraco Over CEO’s Fight: What Is Really Going On?
The Public Service Commission (PSC) has given the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (Ketraco) board a firm ultimatum to act on a petition seeking the removal of its managing director, after the commission concluded that the board had been dragging its feet on a matter that has now spilled into public view.
Why has the PSC issued an ultimatum to Ketraco?
The short answer is delay. According to the developments first reported by Business Daily, the PSC believes the Ketraco board has been slow to move on a petition demanding the exit of its chief executive.
When a governance dispute of this size stalls, it does not just stay inside the boardroom. It affects staff morale, investor confidence, and the pace of critical power transmission projects. The PSC, as the constitutional body overseeing public service ethics and appointments, stepped in to force a decision rather than let the standoff drift.
What exactly is the CEO fight about?
At the heart of it is a petition. Petitions of this nature usually raise questions around governance, procurement, alleged breaches of internal procedure, or leadership conduct. The petitioners want the CEO removed, and they escalated the matter to the PSC after feeling the board had not responded fast enough.
The board, on the other hand, is expected to conduct a fair internal process before taking any drastic step. That balancing act, between acting quickly and acting fairly, is exactly where the tension has built up. The CEO is entitled to due process, but the PSC is signalling that due process cannot become an excuse for indefinite silence.
Why does Ketraco matter so much to ordinary Kenyans?
Ketraco is not a small player. It builds and manages the high voltage transmission lines that move electricity from generation points to the national grid. When leadership at a state corporation like this is unstable, the ripple effects reach real projects.
Think about the transmission lines linking geothermal plants, the interconnector projects with neighbours like Ethiopia and Tanzania, and the push to expand rural electrification. Any of these can lose momentum when the top office is caught in a leadership war. You can read more about the company’s mandate on the official Ketraco website.
How does this compare to other corporate leadership battles in Kenya?
This is far from the first time a top executive fight has gone public in Kenya. Leadership disputes at state corporations and big private firms have become a recurring theme, and they often follow a similar script: an internal complaint, a slow board, external pressure, and then a rushed resolution.
We have seen similar high stakes standoffs in the banking sector too. If you want a sense of how executive scrutiny plays out at that level, look at our coverage of how Citibank sought to block a DCI probe of its Kenya CEO, and the follow up piece on the same Citibank and DCI standoff. Different companies, same lesson: leadership disputes rarely stay quiet for long.
What happens if the Ketraco board ignores the ultimatum?
Ignoring a PSC ultimatum is risky. The commission has the authority to escalate, to issue directives, and to hold the board accountable for inaction. A board that stalls could find itself facing questions about its own competence and integrity.
The most likely outcomes are one of three. The board fast tracks the petition and either clears or acts against the CEO. The matter heads to court, as many such disputes do in Kenya. Or the government intervenes directly through the parent ministry. Whatever path it takes, the days of silence appear to be over.
The bottom line for Kenyans watching this unfold
The PSC ultimatum to Ketraco is really about accountability at a company that keeps the lights on for millions. The takeaway is simple: leadership disputes at public bodies cannot be left to simmer, because the cost of paralysis is borne by taxpayers and power consumers.
Keep an eye on how the board responds within the given window, because that response will tell you whether governance reforms at our state corporations are working or just words on paper. For more updates on business and governance stories that affect you, visit our homepage.