Kenya Electricity Transmission Company Limited (Ketraco) has dropped mandatory tax, debt and integrity clearance requirements in a revised advertisement for its chief executive officer position, weeks after an earlier recruitment notice was withdrawn following a legal threat.
The new advert removes requirements for clearance certificates from the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the Higher Education Loans Board (Helb) and Credit Reference Bureaus (CRBs).
The changes come after the State-owned transmission firm cancelled its earlier advert following a protest letter warning of legal action over what lawyers described as unlawful alteration of statutory qualifications for State corporation bosses.
A comparison of the two notices shows that Ketraco has significantly revised the eligibility criteria for candidates seeking to replace former managing director John Mativo. The fresh advert focuses on academic qualifications, senior management experience and constitutional integrity requirements under Chapter Six.
The earlier advertisement had drawn criticism from Nairobi-based law firm KN Ndiang’ui & Co Advocates, which argued that the board had introduced requirements not provided for in law. In a letter dated April 20, 2026, the lawyers warned that State corporations cannot “alter or dilute” statutory appointment conditions.
They also threatened court action against board members personally if the process was not corrected. Ketraco later withdrew the advert without explanation, only saying that further communication would follow through official channels.
The revised notice now appears aligned with the Government-Owned Enterprises Act, 2025, which standardises recruitment criteria for chief executives in State firms.
Under the law, applicants must hold a degree from a recognised university, have at least 10 years’ relevant experience, including five years in senior management, and meet Chapter Six integrity requirements.
The recruitment comes amid an extended leadership vacuum at Ketraco following the exit of John Mativo nearly eight months ago. His departure was not officially explained. He had succeeded Fernandes Barasa, who left to pursue politics and was later elected Kakamega Governor in 2022.
The company is also increasingly turning to public-private partnerships to fund major transmission projects as pressure on public finances grows.
