Kenya Pipeline Company re-appoints Joe Sang as Managing Director

The Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) has re-installed Joe Sang as the State corporation’s Managing Director for a fresh four-year term.

Sang was in February this year re-appointed to the position in acting capacity, but the move was challenged by the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), prompting the court to issue an order suspending the appointment.

KPC Board Chairperson Faith Bett Boinett, in a letter to newsrooms on Tuesday, said Mr. Sang has been the acting MD for the last three months, during which period he has spearheaded a myriad of positive changes.

“On behalf of the Board of Directors of Kenya Pipeline Company Ltd (KPC), I am pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Joe Sang as the Managing Director after emerging top in the just concluded recruitment process,” Mrs. Boinett stated.

“Mr Sang’s contract will be for a fresh term of four years, renewable subject to performance.”

The Board Chairperson said Mr. Sang previously served as the company MD for two years between 2016 and 2018; a duration she said saw the State corporation make worthwhile strides.

“Mr. Sang’s brief but highly effective tenure at KPC (2016-2018) saw remarkable changes in the management and performance of the State Corporation,” Mrs. Boinett said.

“I was part of the KPC board that witnessed the profitability of the Company rise steadily from 2016 when he assumed management, culminating in a record Profit Before Tax of Ksh.12.4 Billion (Ksh8.6 Billion after tax) in 2018. This is the highest profit in the 50-year history of the Company.”

She added: “The KPC Board anticipates that Mr. Sang will continue to lead the organization to surpass its former stellar performance. Joe has been instrumental in implementing the Company’s strategy that has seen KPC grow its revenue portfolio and evolve from being primarily an oil company to a multi-venture oil and gas company firmly in Fiber Optic Cabling (FOC), Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) distribution and sectoral training through its Morendat Institute of Oil and Gas (MIOG), among others.”

Mr. Sang boasts of wide corporate experience having also worked with WHO-KEMRI, National Oil Corporation of Kenya (NOCK), Unga Limited and the East African Breweries Limited (EABL), all at top managerial levels.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Strategic Management, both from the University of Nairobi, besides being a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and member of the Institute of Public Certified Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK). 

In February this year, the Employment and Labour Relations Court suspended Sang’s re-appointment by KPC until an application filed by LSK President Eric Theuri was heard and determined.

Mr. Sang resigned in 2018 after Ksh.1.9 billion corruption allegations were levelled against him regarding the Kisumu oil jetty project.

He, alongside five former senior KPC officials, were in December 2022 however acquitted of the charges.

These officials included former company Secretary Gloria Khafafa, former Head of Procurement Vincent Cheruiyot, Nicholas Gatobu who served as Procurement Manager, General Manager in charge of Infrastructure Billy Aseka, and GM Finance Samuel Odonyo.

Senior Principal Magistrate Victor Wakumile ruled that despite charges that the officials had implemented a project that had never been planned for costing Ksh.1.9 billion, the Kisumu oil jetty project was conceived as early as the year 2006 when most of the accused persons had not joined the company.

She, therefore, noted that their only mistake was making irregular payments between June 2016 and June 2017.

“The evidence here is that they delivered what no local company had ever done, a project of over Ksh.1 billion…so instead of being appreciated, we ended up vilifying them,” ruled the judge.