Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport Kipchumba Murkomen, on Friday, January 20, made changes to the leadership of the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) Board.
In a Gazette Notice dated January 20, 2023, Murkomen appointed five new members to KPA's board of directors.
Murkomen appointed Musa Osman, Emmanuel Kibet, Caroline Njoki Maina, Consolata Lusweti, and Lucas Maitha to serve for a period of three years beginning January 23, 2023.
At the same time, CS Murkomen revoked the appointment of Lydia Yator, Stephen Gichuhi Gichohi, Conrad Thorpe, Farida Abdalla Sud, and Nilfat Kassim Ali.
Kenya Ports Authority was in the spotlight for leadership and integrity issues during former President Uhuru Kenyatta's government.
On August 27, 2020, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Noordin Haji ordered the arrest of former Kenya Ports Authority Managing Director Daniel Manduku, accused of misappropriating Ksh244 million.
According to Haji, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) detectives gathered sufficient evidence to warrant his arrest and that of KPA works officer, Juma Chigulu.
Among the allegations Manduku faced was engaging in the illegal procurement for manufacturing concrete barriers at the Inland Container Depot, Kilindini Port and Makongeni Goodsshed yard in Mombasa County, without a procurement plan and approving the budget for the financial year 2018/2019.
“There was no requisition made for concrete barriers by the user department within the KPA as required under the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act, 2015 and the regulations made thereunder,” Haji claimed.
Manduku, was, on August 11, 2022, elected Member of Parliament for Nyaribari Masaba Constituency.
The Office of the Auditor General previously questioned the Kenya Ports Authority's (KPA) spending as it emerged that the parastatal owed its creditors more than Ksh11.6 billion that year.
A report by the Auditor General also questioned KPA's increased operational expenses.
The increase in operating revenue indicated a leakage, which was projected to affect the long-term business sustainability at the port.
