NAIROBI July 11 -The search for a new Director General of the Communication Commission of Kenya (CCK) is expected to bear fruit next week, after Communications Minister Samuel Poghisio announced Thursday that a shortlist of three names had been presented to him.
The appointment would be a culmination of two months of intensive head-hunting for the new boss, following the retirement of the immediate former Director General John Waweru who had served for a period of three years.
Waweru was appointed the Director-General (DG) and Chief Executive Officer of the CCK on May 15, 2005.
Until his appointement, he served as Managing Director of the state-owned fixed telecommunications utility, Telkom Kenya.
Prior to that Waweru, an engineer, had served as a member of the Board for three years amassing extensive experience in telecommunications spanning close to 30 years.
He started his career at the defunct Kenya Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (KP&TC) in August 1976 after graduating with a BSc in electrical engineering from the University of Nairobi.
He rose through the ranks to the position of Telecommunications Manager (in charge of Nairobi South) in 1988.
Waweru served in this position up to November 1990, when he took early retirement from the corporation.
Peris Nkonge, who until her appointment, was the Finance and Accounts Director at the CCK has been handling the DG\’s docket in an acting capacity.
A consultancy firm, Ernest and Young, was contracted to search for Waweru’s replacement and has been headhunting for the new DG on behalf of CCK.
The successful contender would be tasked with taking over an increasingly challenging docket with the information and communication sector currently growing at rapid rate and the mobile industry gearing up for two new entrants, Econet Wireless and Telkom mobile operators.
The new DG would have also to ensure that CCK keeps a level playing field and also ensure regulations are not skewed to favor the larger players.
