Outgoing Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) Chairman Gen. (Rtd) Joseph Kibwana has officially handed office to the incoming Chairman Benjamin Dalu Tayari.
The brief handing over ceremony at the KPA headquarters in Mombasa was witnessed by senior KPA managers led by acting Managing Director (MD) Ambassador John Mwangemi.
Tayari, a former Kinango MP in Kwale County, was appointed to the lucrative position last week for the duration of three years to replace his long-serving predecessor.
The Port of Mombasa is the main gateway to the Eastern African region, serving a wide and rapidly growing hinterland consisting of Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Northern Tanzania, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia.
The Mombasa port offers world class stevedoring facilities and can accommodate jumbo sized cargo carriers, iron ore vessels and oil tankers.
In a Gazette Notice dated January 13, Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen revoked the appointment of Gen (Rtd) Kibwana for the former legislator to take over.
Tayari of UDA party was defeated in the August, 2022 general election by his predecessor Gonzi Rai who made a comeback through Pamoja African Alliance (PAA).
Tayari is taking over the chairmanship of KPA at a time when the search for the new MD enters a crucial stage after the recruitment process ended last week.
Next week the authority’s board which will be chaired by Tayari is expected to start conducting interviews to pick a new MD and conclude the shortlisting process.
For three years KPA has had no substantive MD since the exit of Dr. Daniel Manduku in March 2020 who went on to clinch the Nyaribari Masaba parliamentary seat in Kisii County in the 2022 general polls.
The new Chairman will oversee the KPA Board of Directors and further guide on policy implementations that are key to port operations and exceed customer expectations.
The new KPA chairman has affirmed that the board will go out of its way to improve the port’s efficiency and effectiveness to make it a world-class international shipping centre.
“The board under my stewardship will focus on ensuring that the port operates efficiently to become the regional port of choice,” said Tayari.
Of immediate concern to Chairman Tayari is the construction of a berth at Dongo Kundu Special Economic Zone (SEZ) – an area the government aims to fast-track and the construction of the much-awaited multi-million shillings Shimoni Port in Kwale.
The construction of the Shimoni port is expected to have a positive impact on trade and economic growth, large scale exploitation of the fishing industry bolstered by a ready market and value addition which will spur the creation of special economic zones.
The project spearheaded by the KPA is expected to create employment opportunities and improve trade and economic empowerment of area residents.
Meanwhile, leaders from Kwale have continued to send hearty congratulation messages to the new KPA chairman and wished him well in his new endeavours to provide efficient and competitive port services to facilitate global trade.
Led by Kwale Governor Fatuma Achani the leaders appreciated the President Dr. William Ruto for Tayari’s new appointment.
By Hussein Abdullahi
