On Tuesday, the Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) board re-appointed Joe Sang as the new managing director for a four-year term.

Sang takes over from Dr. Macharia Irungu, whose three-year tenure at the company ended in January. Sang held the same position between 2016 and 2018 but was forced to exit the board over graft allegations.

In December 2018, he and other senior managers at KPC were arrested and charged with implementing the Kisumu oil jetty project, which cost taxpayers an alleged loss of Sh1.9 billion.

A Nairobi court in January this year cleared him of the alleged corruption charges, paving the way for his comeback to the MD position in an acting capacity.

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The court ruled that no funds were lost, adding that the Kisumu oil Jetty project was well-planned. According to KPC board chair Faith Boinett, Sang was among the team that contributed to the growth of the Sh8.6 billion profit before tax recorded in 2018.

Boinett said this was the highest profit in the 45-year history of the company. She noted that after his exit, the Company’s performance and profitability took a progressive and significant nosedive immediately.

KPC posted a profit before tax of Sh1.6 billion in 2021, representing a drop of more than 80 percent in four years.

“Sang has a very good grasp of all the issues and processes at KPC, and in view of his good performance record with the Company, the Board of Directors, in consultation with the Parent Ministry, determined that he is the most suitable person to be appointed to the position of Acting Managing Director – KPC,” she said.

Before joining KPC in 2016, Sang, who holds a bachelor of arts degree in economics and a master of arts in business administration (MBA) strategic management from the University of Nairobi (UoN), worked in various organizations.

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He previously served as the general manager of finance and strategy at KPC before he was appointed the company’s managing director in 2016.  

He has also worked with the World Health Organisation (WHO-KEMRI) as a project economist. Sang also served at the National Oil Corporation of Kenya (NOCK) as the financial accountant and a management accountant at Unga Limited.

He also played a role at the East African Breweries Ltd, where he served as the head of finance and head of group performance.