Francis Muli
Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) acting managing director Daniel Manduku is technically locked out in the ongoing recruitment of a new Managing Director.
According to a public notice in the recruitment exercise to succeed former managing director (MD) Ms Catherine Mturi Wairi, the KPA Board of Directors has set out tough requirements for the position that automatically lock Manduku out of the race.
Candidates applying for the position are required to have knowledge and experience of the port operations of not less than 15 years and have to have served in a managerial cum leadership role in an organization of similar complexity as the KPA for at least eight years.
Manduku has served for three years as the managing director of the National Construction Authority [NCA] which has not more than 400 employees, while KPA has over 5,000 employees.
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During the process to succeed former KPA MD Gichiri Ndua where Wairi was confirmed, Manduku was not among the three whose names were forwarded to the government but he was posted to the acting capacity after Wairi was sent on a compulsory leave in May.
The three names which were forwarded at that time after being shortlisted were those of Wairi, former KPA GM Engineering Service Joseph Atonga, and Stanley Chai.
Before Wairi’s confirmation after being in an acting capacity following the sacking of Gichiri Ndua, coast leaders’ opinion was divided on whether Ms Wairi should be confirmed or the position be given to Stanley Chai who is a maritime expert compared to Ms Wairi who is a financial expert.
Despite Manduku being the Acting MD the post is up for grabs after the government put no age limit for those seeking the position unlike the last advertisement to succeed Ndua.
Among those likely to succeed Wairi in an open and transparent competition is former Kenya Ferry Services (KFS) MD Musa Hassan who served at the KPA before being promoted to the ferry service.
Others are current KFS MD Bakari Gowa, former KPA general manager for operations Twalib Khamisi, former general manager for board and legal services Muthoni Gatere and former general manager for corporate services Justus Nyarandi.
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Other candidates likely to be in the contest are Eng Atonga and Chai who had made Wairi run for her money in a tight race to succeed then MD Ndua.
Inside the port circle those who are potential candidates in the current race for the position of MD are KPA General Manager for Engineering Service Rashid Salim, KPA general manager in charge of Lamu port Eng Abdullah Samatar, KPA General Manager in charge of Kisumu port Sudi Mwasingo and former KPA head of human resources Boaz Ouko who was redeployed internally and Catherine Wangari taking over from him.
Interested candidates in the race to succeed Wairi have up to November 16 to apply for the post and the Christmas gift will be the appointment to take over the running of the authority on a three year contract.
Meanwhile, Mombasa Women Representative Asha Hussein alias Ashu challenged educated individuals from the coast region to make use of the government advertisement for the post of KPA managing director.
She cautioned them to stop lashing out at the government for not giving them a chance in key government appointments.
“The chance has come and they should apply for the slot,” she pointed out.
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Ashu cautioned them not to wait for government slots on a silver platter and urged them to go for them.
She spoke during a funds drive dinner gala for recovering drug addicts held at the Swahili Cultural Centre in Mvita constituency, Mombasa County.
The County Women Representative urged them to stop the blame game and instead apply and compete with others.
She has asked the regional appointees to government positions to make use of the opportunity to ensure the region’s residents benefit from their appointments.
“During the previous appointments the residents from the region have been the losers but they should change their attitude,” she pointed out.
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