KenGen Awards 101 Students Education Scholarship for 2022

Nairobi, Thursday, April 21, 2022: One hundred and one bright, needy students have a reason to smile after Kenya Electricity Generating Company PLC (KenGen) awarded them Education Scholarships for the year 2022 through its philanthropic arm, the KenGen Foundation, to further their education.

The scholarships were awarded to Secondary and University education, with fifty-seven issued to Secondary School students whilst forty-three went to University students during the 7th KenGen Annual mentorship event at St. George’s Primary School in Nairobi.

The scholarship is part of KenGen Corporate Social Investment where education is a key pillar, geared towards empowering the communities within which the Company operates through sponsoring bright, needy students to further their education.

Since inception in 2005, the KenGen Education Scholarship Program has to date awarded 901 scholarships to both High School and University students. The Company has invested over Ksh.400 million in education development in terms of infrastructure development projects in both Primary and Secondary schools, scholarship awards, mentorships and stipends for university scholars. In addition, first-class graduates in relevant courses are given employment opportunities in the company.

Speaking during the awards ceremony, the Chief Guest, KenGen Board Chairman, General (Rtd) Samson Mwathethe, in a speech read on his behalf by Board Member, Winnie Pertet, lauded the students’ efforts in pursuing excellence and emphasized discipline as a key factor in their education prosperity.

“Let me further appeal to you to avoid being victims of social decadence that has gripped our institutions of learning and destroyed many young lives. Those among you who fall for such unfortunate behaviour face the risk of losing this scholarship, for as you are aware, it comes with your promise and commitment to be a well-disciplined and exemplary student throughout your period of study,” he added.

The Chairman also noted that KenGen will continue raising the bar of Kenyan education by assisting in improvement of structures that enhance the learning institutions as well as seek to increase the number of scholarship slots in all the areas of our operations.

KenGen Managing Director and CEO, Rebecca Miano, while reiterating the Chairman’s comments also commended the students for the sterling performance and encouraged them to keep it up.

“By awarding you the KenGen Education Scholarship, you are distinguished because you have demonstrated that you have the commitment, strength and determination to move forward. The KenGen Education Scholarships is here to help you and those who aspire for life-changing education to reach their potential. This will be your ticket to new professional opportunities and to new and exciting life journeys,” she said.

While urging the students to use the opportunity to be better persons in their society, the CEO also invited other corporates to come on board to help other needy students. She also lauded the KenGen Employee Giver initiative and corporates such as Bamburi Cement for expanding the secondary school scholarship slots to the benefit of communities

“The positive impact of the scholarships in the lives of the students, their families and their communities is huge. Therefore, I invite other corporates to help increase the number of beneficiaries by also contributing to the development of our education sector,” she added.

KenGen Foundation Managing Trustee, Anthony Igecha, noted that the scholarships remain important within the framework of the KenGen Foundation strategy and symbolizes a commitment to investing in the country’s future work force.

In the last two years, KenGen has been providing national infrastructure support through the construction of classrooms in Garissa, Embu, Machakos, Kitui, Mombasa, Kajiado, Nakuru, Kisumu and libraries in Lamu, Kajiado, West Pokot and Mandera Counties to benefit more than 2,000 students.

Ends....w

Note to Editor:

About KenGen

Kenya Electricity Generating Company PLC (KenGen) is the leading electricity generating company in the Eastern Africa region with an installed generation capacity market share of more than 60%. The company’s primary business is to provide safe, reliable and competitively priced electric energy for the country in an environmentally friendly and sustainable manner, while creating value for its stakeholders.

Today, KenGen PLC has an installed generation capacity of 1,818MW of which over 86% is drawn from green sources, namely: Hydro (826MW), Geothermal (713MW), Thermal (253MW) and Wind (25.5MW).

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Davis Chirchir - Cabinet Secretary, Energy and Petroleum

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CABINET SECRETARY, ENERGY AND PETROLEUM- KENYA

Mr. Davis Chirchir is the Cabinet Secretary in charge of Energy and Petroleum in Kenya. He provides policy, oversight and leadership in the corporate institutional framework of the Ministry. The institutions under this framework include:

Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC)
National Oil Corporation of Kenya (NOCK)
Kenya Petroleum Oil Refineries (KPRL)
Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA)
Kenya Electricity Generating Company PLC(KenGen)
The Kenya Power and Lighting Company PLC (KPLC)
Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC)
Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (KETRACO)
Geothermal Development Company (GDC)
Energy Tribunal
Nuclear Power and Energy Agency (NuPEA)
Independent Power Producers (IPPs).

He has in-depth experience in project development, management and execution and is skilled in strategic analysis and financial management

Mr. Chirchir previously led the Ministry in the same capacity from 2013 to 2015. This is therefore his second appointment as the Cabinet Secretary for Energy and Petroleum; a testament to his in-depth understanding of the sector and the impact he had. Prior to his nomination and appointment as the Cabinet Secretary, he was the Chief of Staff to the Deputy President.

He was also a Commissioner at the Interim Independent Electoral Commission (IIEC) where he spearheaded the introduction and application of information technology and reform initiatives in voter registration and election results management.

This was preceded by his role as General Manager at Kenya Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (KPTC) where he coordinated the restructuring of KPTC to create Telkom Kenya, Communication Commission of Kenya, Postal Corporation of Kenya and staff Pension Fund. He also coordinated the privatization of Telkom Kenya and establishment of Safaricom. He was a member of the Technology Committee at Nairobi Stock Exchange and supported the computerization of the Central Depository and Trading System.

Mr. Chirchir holds a Masters of Business Administration in International Management from Royal Holloway School of Management, University of London. He also holds a postgraduate diploma in Tele-traffic Engineering and a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and Physics from the University of Nairobi.

Kamau Alex Wachira - Principal Secretary

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Alex Kamau Wachira - Principal Secretary

The Principal Secretary joins the State Department for Energy with a wealth of experience from the private sector where he worked variously as an investment banker. His latest assignment was with Faida Investment Bank where he traded and structured Treasury bonds and Corporate bonds at the Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE). Other assignments include working with Dyer & Blair Investment Bank and Genghis Capital limited in the same capacity.

PS Wachira has served in various leadership’s positions right from his university days. He was a founding member of the Bonds Market Association as well as a member of the Steering Committee of the Kenya Association of Stock Brokers and Investment Bankers (KASIB). His contribution to the Bond’s market saw him being appointed to the Central Depository Project at the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK). In 2021, the project dealt in government securities worth 900 billion, the highest turnover ever in Kenya.

The PS launched his career in the financial sector after participating in the issuance of the Safaricom IPO in 2008 where he interned. He had prior completed a Bsc Degree course from the University of Nairobi. At Campus, he served as the Secretary General NUNSA and Treasurer for the Confederation of Medical Students Association. He is currently pursuing an MA in Leadership at Pan African Christian University.

A strong believer in servant leadership through community engagement and development, in that position, the PS was able to spearhead initiatives such, as free medical camps for Cancer Screening, Tree planting, Youth Mentorship Programmes, and Sports Tournaments among others. Born and bred in Kieni Constituency, Nyeri County, the PS is a family man who’s strict up bringing is instrumental in shaping him into the person he is.