Engineer Edward Mwirigi Kinyua has been appointed Director General of the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA), moving from the regulator’s petroleum and gas directorate to lead the institution overseeing Kenya’s electricity and petroleum sectors.
His appointment was announced on September 30, 2026, with immediate effect. Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi approved the appointment following recruitment by the respective boards of three energy agencies.
For many Kenyans, his name will now be associated with the authority behind monthly fuel price announcements. But his work in petroleum regulation stretches back to the years before EPRA replaced the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).
Edward Mwirigi Kinyua’s education and qualifications
According to EPRA’s published biography, Kinyua holds a Master of Science in Energy Management from the University of Nairobi and a Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical and Production Engineering from Moi University.
He is a registered professional engineer with the Engineers Board of Kenya and a corporate member of the Institution of Engineers of Kenya.
The regulator lists Total Kenya Limited among the organisations where he gained experience. Its biography describes him as having more than 14 years in the sector, although the page still identifies him by his previous position and does not provide an updated career timeline.
His career before becoming EPRA Director General
Before his elevation, Kinyua served as EPRA’s Director of Petroleum and Gas, responsible for developing and implementing strategies for regulating the petroleum subsector.
Earlier records show that he was already holding a senior petroleum regulatory position a decade before his latest appointment.
A March 2016 Business Daily report identified him as the ERC’s acting director of petroleum while reporting his explanation of changes in Kenya’s fuel consumption.
A 2018 High Court ruling also records a January 9, 2018 affidavit by Edward Kinyua in his capacity as the ERC’s acting director of petroleum. The proceedings concerned a dispute over the revocation of an LPG dealer’s licence.
These records establish that his regulatory career predates EPRA’s creation under the Energy Act, 2019.
A public voice on Kenya’s fuel import system
Kinyua has also represented the regulator in public discussions about fuel supply and the government-to-government petroleum import arrangement.
During an April 2026 interview on Citizen TV’s JKLive, he explained that international suppliers’ preferences and assessments of commercial risk had influenced the selection of local counterpart companies.
He also distinguished Kenya Pipeline Company’s transportation and storage responsibilities from the commercial role of importing and trading petroleum. His explanation came amid public debate over the structure of the import arrangement.
What his new EPRA role covers
Kinyua’s appointment expands his responsibilities beyond petroleum and gas.
EPRA regulates electricity generation, transmission, distribution and supply, as well as petroleum importation, storage, transportation and sale. It also oversees upstream petroleum operations and has responsibilities for renewable energy.
Its mandate includes setting, reviewing and approving energy tariffs, protecting consumers and investors, and enforcing safety and quality standards alongside other authorities.
For households and businesses, those responsibilities touch everyday concerns: electricity charges, prices at the pump and the safety of petroleum products.
Kinyua therefore takes over with experience in one of the authority’s central departments, while assuming responsibility for the wider institution. His record as Director General will be judged by how that experience translates into clear, consistent regulation across the energy sector.
