NAIROBI, Kenya August 12 – Outgoing Kenya Pipeline company board chairperson John Ngumi Tuesday expressed confidence in the agency’s potential saying he leaves a highly operational agency with a capacity to play a strategic role of the vital oil and gas sector.
Ngumi officially ended his term last week and is headed to chair a newly formed Industrial and Commercial Development Corporation (ICDC). He is being replaced by Rita Okuthe
Under a new executive order issued last week, ICDC has been mandated to coordinate the central management of public port, railway and pipeline services under the newly formed Kenya Transport and Logistics Network (KTLN).
“Since I joined the Board as Chairperson in April 2015, we have seen astounding achievements, and suffered setbacks that could have been fatal to any other company that did not have KPC’s long history, resilience, resources and people,” he told staff through a statement.
Ngumi particularly noted that under his term, KPC completed massive investments amounting to nearly Shs 60 billion.
Among them is the new Mombasa-Nairobi pipeline (Line 5), new Sinendet-Kisumu pipeline (Line 6), additional storage tanks in Nairobi Terminal and Eldoret and Kisumu Bottom Loading facilities.
He lauded the government agency for successfully managing the operations and performance of Kenya Petroleum Refineries Limited which is expected to merge with KPC.
He noted that the agency paid Shs 11.8 billion as dividends to government in 2020 out of which KES 1.8 billion was expended by the Government on the rehabilitated Nairobi-Nanyuki Railway.
The railway line which underwent rehabilitation is expected to provide a cheaper and safer way to transport fuel to Kenyans living in Mount Kenya and Northern regions.
“We also made a grant of Shs 55 million to the NYS, which enabled them produce 1.5 million masks, also for free distribution to needy Kenyans,” he added highlighting KPC’s role in COVID-19 prevention measures
Ngumi noted that under his term, KPC liased with Kenya Ports Authority and Kenya Railway Corporation as part of efforts to rejuvenate Kisumu Port, which is a major regional fuel transport hub
“We await the completion of Uganda’s two oil jetties on the other side of Lake Victoria before we can operationalise Kisumu Oil Jetty, which is ready for use,” Ngumi said
