Kenya Investment Authority Chief Executive Dr. Moses Ikiara/FILE
NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 28 – Industrialization and Trade Cabinet Secretary Adan Mohamed has appointed Kenya Investment Authority Chief Executive Dr. Moses Ikiara as Acting Managing Director of the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS).
In a letter to KEBS Chairman, Mugambi Imanyara, CS Mohamed has said Ikiara has been appointed for three months with immediate effect, “following the recent events at the Kenya Bureau of Standards.”
The appointment of Ikiara comes after the arrest of KEBS MD Charles Ongwae last week where he is accused of releasing contaminated fertilizer in the market.
Ongwae, and seven other officials from KEBS and Kenya Revenue Authority were charged on Tuesday with attempted murder and abuse of office.
The eight denied the charges of unlawfully releasing the fertilizer which is suspected to contain mercury and believed to have been shipped from Morocco by OCP (K) Ltd.
The court heard that the fertilizer was sold in Narok and Eldoret.
The change of guard at KEBS comes amidst a national crackdown on contraband and illicit goods including sugar and electronics that has seen the arrest of over 70 traders and distributors and closure of warehouses.
Prior to the appointment, Ikiara worked as the Executive Director at the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis, and previously as a lecturer and research fellow at Moi University’s School of Environmental Studies.
He holds a PhD in Environmental and Natural Resource Economics from the University of Amsterdam as well as a Master’s degree in economics from the University of Nairobi.
