Sacked Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) senior managers could soon face a criminal investigation.
KPA chairman Marsden Madoka also warned that more heads will roll. Addressing 7,500 staff at Bandari College yesterday, Maj (rtd) Madoka said the KPA board has ordered a separate probe on employees’ professional and academic qualifications.
Yesterday, The Standard on Saturday learned that some of the sacked managers could be arrested and arraigned in court next week but the chairman refused to give timelines for the probe saying “investigations are going on.”
Madoka said the purge at KPA was based on intelligence reports but he declined to divulge the details.
But he said: “we have not recommended for the managers who left us to be charged of any crime but fresh investigations being carried out will determine whether they will be charged.”
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“More changes are on the way. Lifestyle audits will be carried out soon and investigation of another probe on the academic certificates will also be done, said Madoka. He added: “wait and see” when asked whether more employees will be laid off at the port.
Last evening, he formally introduced the new managers but excluded the Finance Accounting Officer Patrick Nyoike and Managing Director Catherine Mturi.
Madoka said the sacked managers were asked to take “early retirement” and added that Sudi Mwasingo (Operations), Edward Kamau (Corporate Services), Mariam Khamis (Head of Security) and Amani Komora who were appointed on Tuesday have now been confirmed. Komora is the General Manager in charge Human Resource and Administration.
“We have not confirmed Patrick Nyoike as the General Manager, Finance because there are some things we are still looking at,” he said without elaborating. Before Tuesday Catherin Mturi Wairi was the General Manager Finance.
Yesterday, Madoka and Mturi received a rousing welcome from KPA workers at Bandari collage.
The workers shouted “simba! simba! Umetoa waliodhania ni mizizi (lion you have sacked those who thought they indispensable) as he entered the hall in company of nine directors and the newly appointed managers.
The workers representatives praised Madoka for heeding their calls not to privatise the second container terminal.
And Madoka said that the Sh28 billion second container, under construction by China Road and Bridge Corporation, will be handed to KPA on February 29th.
He said this will reduce the harbor’s over reliance on Container Freight Stations.
