President Uhuru shakes up Government departments

The Government has stripped Kenya Ports Authority’s (KPA) control over Bandari College.

This follows a sweeping reorganisation in the Government that has also seen the Kenya National Shipping Line and KPA placed under different State departments.

The reorganisation, which has alarmed actors in the shipping sector, has also affected LAPSSET, maritime regulator and the Kenya Ferry Services, which have been lumped under one department.

According to a Presidential decree of May 2, the changes are in line with the Constitution and seek to allocate portfolio responsibilities.

Portfolio responsibilities

“The Government will be organised in line with the Constitution as outlined herein. This order contains portfolio responsibilities and changes made in the structure of Government,” reads the order in part.

The order overturns one issued by the Government in 2013.

“The order supersedes Executive Order No 2/2013,” says President Uhuru Kenyatta.

KPA has shares in the shipping line that is not known to own any ships. Bandari College offers marine operation and shipping-related courses under the management of KPA but the two institutions will now be managed by different principal secretaries.

The Executive Order Number 1 of 2016 creates five departments in the Transport ministry, each headed by a principal secretary.

It allocates parastatals, training colleges and institutions and enforcement of legislation under each department.

The departments are State Department of Transport, State Department of Infrastructure, State Department of Housing and Urban Development, State Department of Maritime and Shipping Affairs and State Department of Public Works.

According to the decree, the State Department of Public Works has no parastatals or institutions under it while the that of Transport has 12 parastatals and institutions.