CS Rebecca Miano appoints Esther Njeri Ngari as CEO of KEBS
Trade Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano, has announced the appointment of Esther Njeri Ngari as the new Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs).
In a gazette notice issued on October 13, Miano stated that Ngari’s tenure as Kebs’ CEO would span three years.
The notice read, “In exercise of the powers conferred by section 5 (1) of the Standards Act, the Cabinet Secretary for Investments, Trade, and Industry appoints ESTHER NJERI NGARI to be the Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya Bureau of Standards, for a period of three (3) years, with effect from the 13th October, 2023.”
Esther Njeri Ngari has been serving as the Acting Managing Director at Kebs since July 2022 when she was appointed to the role by the former Trade Cabinet Secretary, Betty Maina.
Her appointment followed a court decision that invalidated the appointment of her predecessor, affecting seven members who had been appointed to the National Standards Council (NSC). The court found irregularities in their appointments.
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However, the Court of Appeal reinstated the former CEO and the Council members in October, expressing concerns that their removal could expose Kenyans to substandard products.
Earlier this year, CEO Njiraini faced another suspension from President William Ruto following the release of contraband sugar into the Kenyan market.
He, alongside Geoffrey Murira, Hilda Keror Liston Lagat, Rono Birgen, Stephen Owuor, and Peter Olima from Kebs, was among 26 government officials suspended by the President for their alleged involvement in allowing illegal sugar into the market, which was supposed to be destroyed.
Esther Njeri Ngari’s professional background includes serving as the Director of Standards Development and Trade at Kebs for four years.
Prior to that, she held the position of Quality Assurance, Research and Development Manager at the Kenya Meat Commission.
During the vetting process held on October 13, Ngari ranked second among the candidates for the CEO position with a score of 77.22 marks, following Moses Sudi Otoe, who scored 78.78 marks.
Dr Muriira Geoffrey Kamau scored 68.33 marks, Dr. Mugambi George Kaberia scored 53.78, Waweru Karanja 51.78, Luka Kipchumba Kimeli 50.78, and Gordon Onkjore scored 46.56 marks.
The top three candidates, including Esther Njeri Ngari, were then forwarded to the Trade Cabinet Secretary for consideration.
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