Competition Authority of Kenya director general nominee David Kibet Kemei has vowed to eliminate barriers and unfair trade practices.
This as he downplayed a petition questioning his suitability for the post.
CAK is mandated with promoting and safeguarding effective competition in the market and protecting consumers from unfair and misleading market conduct.
Appearing before the joint National Assembly's Finance and National Planning and the Senate's Finance and Budget committee for vetting, Kemei promised to institute far-reaching measures to open up the market.
Molo MP Kuria Kimani and nominated Senator Tabitha Mutinda co-chaired the meeting.
“The first strategy is to make sure is to make sure we implement our competition laws so that we have fair competition in all our markets,” Kemei told the joint panel.
Kemei said he was unaware about a court judgement that directed the chairman of the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) to surcharge an employee of Sh23.54 million for irregular employment in 2022.
The amount was net proceeds earned by the employee from irregular employment. Kemei was a board member of KMTC at the time.
He told the committee that he only learnt of the judgement during his preparation for the approval hearing.
“I only recently learned about it and have since instructed my legal team to pursue the matter,” he said.
Kemei promised to liberalise the banking sector and allow for the entry of new players without hurting the existing players and consumers.
He further pledged to prioritise consumer protection ensuring fair treatment and protection against corporate malpractice.
The nominee also undertook to create a level playing field for businesses and address issues such as high production costs and expensive bank loans.
“Issues of mergers should lead to better products for Kenyans. We shall recommend to the government to bring down the cost of farm inputs to enable Kenyans to produce at low cost and thus better returns,” he said.
Addressing the challenges in the digital economy, Kemei pointed out at a legal gap that he said has hindered the sector's regulation. He promised to propose policies to protect consumers and ensure fairness in the digital space.
Kemei, 59, dismissed concerns relating to his age, which is now the subject of a petition in court, assuring the committee that he was capable and ready to serve.
The nominee holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration and a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce, both from the University of Nairobi.
His career includes roles as an assistant lecturer at the University of Nairobi, as well as positions at Shell Kenya, the Electricity Regulatory Board and Kenya Reinsurance.
