KENYA – Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen), Kenya’s Power generator, has renewed the contract of Rebecca Miano as its managing director for a further three years.

Board chairman Joshua Choge said the decision was taken after a “rigorous evaluation process” and her “exemplary performance” at the helm of the power producer.

“During Mrs Miano’s three-year tenure, the company has continued on an upward growth trajectory, consistently reporting good corporate financial performance despite a difficult operating environment that has affected many other businesses globally,” he said in statement.

Mrs Miano became the first woman managing director and CEO of the State-owned firm in November 2017 after holding the position in acting capacity following the exit of Albert Mugo when he clocked the retirement age of 60.

The KenGen board said that the firm has continued to grow in terms of assets to post impressive results and generate adequate cash flows under Ms Miano’s leadership.

“This enabled KenGen to pay dividend of Sh2.6 billion to shareholders for the financial year 2018, followed by the successful final redemption of the listed KenGen Public infrastructure Bond in October 2019,” he said in a notice to shareholders.

Ms Miano joined the power producer in 1998 has worked in various roles including senior legal officer, assistant company secretary, legal affairs director and corporate governance.

She holds a Bachelor of Laws Degree with Honors, a Diploma in Law and post-graduate studies in Comparative Law.

She is a member of the Institute of Certified Public Secretaries of Kenya (ICPSK) and the Law Society of Kenya (LSK).

This comes a month after she joined the World Bank Group’s Advisory Council on Gender and Development for a period of two years.

The council is composed of representatives of government ministries, the private sector, academia and non-profit institutions.

Members of the Advisory Council are tasked with looking into progress and constraints to gender equality globally and providing feedback and guidance of the bank’s work on gender equality and women’s voice.

The Advisory Council also provides an opportunity for members to influence the direction of the work done by World Bank which includes reducing gaps between men and women.

World Bank’s Managing Director, Development Policy and Partnerships, Mari E Pangestu said in 2016, the Group began implementing a new gender strategy geared towards deepening the institution’s contribution toward key results which are; closing first-generation gaps in education and health, getting to more, better and inclusive jobs, closing gender gaps in ownership/control over key assets such as land and finance, among others.

Other key results entail enhancing women’s voice and agency especially by preventing and responding to gender-based violence.

Liked this article? Subscribe to DealStreet Africa News, our regular email newsletter with the latest news, deals and insights from Africa’s business, economy and more. SUBSCRIBE