The Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK) has appointed Dr Adano Wario to serve as the acting Director-General.
Wario succeeds Wang’ombe Kariuki, whose second five-year term has ended.
“We owe immense gratitude to Mr Kariuki who departs after overseeing the CAK’s transformation from a department within the Ministry of Finance to a semi-autonomous institution that is held in high regard by stakeholders, nationally, regionally and internationally,” the authority said in a statement on Tuesday, January 10.
The CAK noted that Kariuki had contributed to immense growth at the authority and Kenya at large, including “developing regulation and guidelines that created transparency and predictability in the competition enforcement process.”
According to CAK, Kariuki facilitated refunds of over Ksh.2.4 billion to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the retail and insurance sectors, therefore ensuring their sustenance and saving thousands of jobs.
“His key achievements include developing a robust competition regulatory regime, enhancing financial inclusion by extinguishing exclusive mobile money agent agreements, increasing price transparency in mobile money transactions, and reducing USSD charges by 90%,” said CAK.
His successor Wario currently serves as the authority’s director of Planning, Policy, and Research. He takes up his new role with immediate effect.
“Going forward, I shall prioritise deepening competition in sectors such as the digital economy, agriculture, financial services and promoting the competitiveness of SMEs. As I take lead of the team of CAK colleagues, I am fully aware that teamwork is paramount in order to advance the mandate, vision and mission of the Authority,” said Wario after his appointment.
“It will be an uphill task to try and fill Mr Wang’ombe Kariuki’s shoes. However, we shall, without relenting, try to follow in his footsteps as we scale the ladder of a sustainable economy for our country through effective competition enforcement.”
The CAK’s Director-General is appointed by the Board of Directors, with Parliament’s approval.
The office-holder is in charge of the agency for a five-year renewable term, with a maximum of two terms.
