Kul Man Ghising

Kulman Ghising (, ) is a Nepalese engineer, technocrat, politician, and chairman of Ujyaalo Nepal Party. Ghising served as minister of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation along with Urban Development and Physical Infrastructure and Transport in interim cabinet formed after 2025 Nepalese Gen Z protests.

He has served as managing director of Nepal Electricity Authority for a decade, during his tenure the country's long-standing load-shedding (power outage) crisis ended.

Kulman Ghising, also served as the Nepal's Energy Minister and Chairperson of MCA-Nepal, the body implementing the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact. The MCC provides a U.S. grant for power and road projects. Ghising oversees project execution and board decisions. While the compact is promoted as supporting infrastructure growth, it has also faced debate in Nepal regarding sovereignty and foreign influence. He has served as managing director of Nepal Electricity Authority. He was MD of Nepal Electricity Authority during the tenure of Janardan Sharma when the country's long-standing load-shedding (power outage) ended.

Early life and education Ghising was born to a Tamang family in Bethan village of Ramechhap District in eastern Nepal,

Scheduled daily power-cuts called load-shedding, extending up to 18 hours in the dry winter months, had been a persistent problem in Nepal for decades. When Ghising was appointed to lead the NEA, he emphasized better management and more equitable power distribution. He overhauled the hydropower generation system storing water during low demand hours, and bringing online power plants that had been inoperative due to poor maintenance. He launched a public awareness campaign to discourage the use of high-power domestic equipment during peak hours. However, he was removed from his position on March 24, 2025, despite his tenure being scheduled to end on August 9, 2025. The government decision to remove him caused widespread criticism and protests.

Kul Man Ghising's dismissal as managing director of the Nepal Electricity Authority on March 24, 2025, sparked protests across Nepal. Supporters criticized the government's decision, viewing it as unjust given his success in eliminating load-shedding. The protests revealed divisions within the ruling coalition, with even Nepali Congress leaders opposing the move, raising concerns about potential unrest.

Early political career Although Ghising was long considered a career technocrat, his entry into politics was preceded by years of immense public popularity stemming from his leadership at the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA). Speculation regarding his formal entry into politics began as early as the 2022 general elections, where he was heavily courted by the CPN (Maoist Centre), though he initially maintained his neutral status as a public official.

Following the 2025 youth-led "Gen Z protests" that led to the resignation of the K. P. Sharma Oli administration, Ghising was inducted into the interim cabinet of Nepal's first female prime minister, Sushila Karki. Sworn in on September 15, 2025, Ghising was appointed Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation. Due to his reputation for administrative efficiency, he was also given the portfolios for the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport and the Ministry of Urban Development.

On January 7, 2026, Ghising resigned from his ministerial posts to transition into full-time party leadership ahead of the March 2026 general elections. Shortly after his resignation, he assumed the chairmanship of the "Ujyaalo Nepal Party" (Light of Nepal Party). Following a brief, 12-day unification attempt with the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) that collapsed in January 2026 over ideological differences, Ghising announced he would contest the election independently for the seat of Kathmandu Constituency No. 3.