Rebecca Miano, the current Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife in Kenya, is facing serious accusations of corruption linked to her tenure as CEO of the Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen).
The allegations, outlined in a petition reported by leaked.co.ke, paint a grim picture of financial mismanagement and failed projects that have cost Kenyan taxpayers billions of shillings.
During her time at KenGen, Miano is alleged to have overseen the allocation of over Ksh 94 billion to power generation projects that have been labeled as “white elephants.”
These projects were either left incomplete or deemed non-functional, providing little to no benefit to the country.
A big portion of this amount, Ksh 79 billion, was reportedly spent drilling geothermal wells that were never connected to the national grid.
This failure has left taxpayers shouldering the burden of loan repayments without any return on investment in terms of increased power supply.
The accusations do not stop there.
Miano has also been linked to national blackouts and inflated electricity bills during her tenure at KenGen.
The petition highlights that unusable high-voltage transmission lines were commissioned, and funds were misallocated for feasibility studies on power plants that never materialized.
For instance, Ksh 645 million was reportedly spent on studies for the Meru Wind Power plant and the Karura Hydro Power plant.
Despite these hefty expenditures, both projects remain incomplete, raising questions about the efficiency and integrity of the decision-making processes under her leadership.
These issues had not gone unnoticed by regulatory bodies.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) had previously taken an interest in these allegations, signaling the potential for legal action.
However, no big progress appears to have been made in holding those responsible accountable, leading to frustration among critics and the public.
The revelations surrounding Miano’s time at KenGen have cast a shadow over her appointment as the Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife.
Many are questioning whether she is fit to manage her new responsibilities, given her alleged track record of mismanagement and corruption.
Critics argue that her appointment reflects a lack of due diligence and accountability in leadership selections, as her past actions appear inconsistent with the trust required for public office.
The controversy has further fueled doubts about Kenya’s commitment to tackling corruption at the highest levels of government.
For many, these accusations raise the urgent need for systemic reforms to prevent such scandals from recurring and to restore public confidence in leadership.
