The corrupt Pavel Oimeke has been reinstated as the boss at Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) by the High Court.On July 27th, Oimeke’s reappointed Epra’s chief executive-a post he has been sitting at since 2017 was suspended after Emannuel Wanjala, moved to court to block his re-appointment.
In yesterday’s ruling, Justice Hellen Wasilwa dismissed Wanjala’s petition for lack of merit and ordered the immediate reinstatement of the corrupt Oimeke as the EPRA Director-General.
“In the circumstances, I found that the application did not have merit and therefore I dismissed it and ordered that the status quo of the first respondent be reinstated immediately as the DG. I had stayed that position because I thought that he had not been appointed, but he has been appointed and rightly so. And therefore he is rein,” Justice Wasilwa ruled.
The acting EPRA Director-General is also the Corporation Secretary & Director of Legal Affairs who has had a successful career in legal practice for a period exceeding twenty years.
Ms Mueni Mutung’a was named the new Director-General in an acting capacity in August this year.
“The Board of Directors of the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) has designated Ms Mueni Mutung’a as Acting Director-General, as from 17′ August 2020”, the statement signed by EPRA board chair Justice Jackton Ojwang’ said in part
Mr Oimeke’s tenure has been marked by corruption, nepotism, favouritism and lacklustre leadership in executing the mandate of EPRA.
Pavel Oimeke is alleged to receive bribed to license illegal LPG filling plants. He then engages in PR stunts and side-shows aimed at misleading Kenyans.
He was supposed to be arrested during the #SwitchOffKPLC campaign but it is said he managed to bribed detectives to walk a free man, despite being a criminal linked to the rot in the energy sector.
The #SwitchOffKPLC campaign has exposed the rot in the energy sector and particularly EPRA.
2. Recruitment scandal
“The rot at ERC is appalling and most employees are staying there to just earn a salary. The man has turned the Commission upside down in less than two years since his appointment”, wrote a staff of EPRA, then Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).
The anonymous source further said, ‘Out of 10 employees, 8 of them are from his village. They have zero skills and tribalism reigns supreme’.
3. Procurement/Corruption
DPP needs to move in to unearth the irregular award of tenders at ERC. He terminates procurement contracts anyhow without valid reasons if you’re not cooperating. Also, substandard goods are accepted upon his coercion of employees to sign for them. It is believed that these companies are either his/his operatives.
In Oimeke’s time, he has engaged in useless regulation of fuel/gas prices which does not make sense or serve the purpose to alleviate the suffering of Kenyans.
He has overseen Energy Injustice which has left the sector more corrupt than when EPRA did not exist. This has led to some quarters calling for the disbandment of the Commission.
Oimeke also opened a lot of lawsuits against the commission due to his ‘eating ways’
