KMA board sends home director general Martin Munga

Former Kenya Maritime Authority Director General Martin Munga. [File, Standard]

Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA) board of directors has kicked out Director General Martin Munga.

The board replaced Munga an engineer with Julius Koech also an engineer as acting director general.

Eng Munga's replacement follows protracted boardroom wars in the past few months and allegations of irregular emloyment of 30 workers, corruption amid huge budget cut from the exchequer.

Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho recently met the KMA board and management at the authority's offices in Mombasa.
KMA Chairman Hamisi Mwaguya announced that the board effected the changes on September 20.

Mwaguya said Munga had been sent on compulsory leave with immediate effect. However he did not disclose the reasons for sending the director general home.

Munga was unveiled by former Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya in December last year when he took over from acting director general John Omingo.

Established in 2004, KMA has had a high turnover of chief executive officers since the exit of the founding director general Nancy Karigithu about 10 years ago.
The authority has also had individuals serving as acting director general for years raising concern in the industry.

When Dr Karigithu left Cosmas Cherop was appointed acting director general and was later replaced by George Mc'goye in an acting capacity.
The KMA board later appointed Major (rtd) George Okong'o as the substantive director general.

However, following differences with the board of directors and the Ministry of Transport, Maj (Rtd) Okong'o resigned in July 2020, citing frustrations.
Munga was picked owing to his extensive international expertise in maritime and shipping sectors.

He is a distinguished naval architect and ocean engineer who served at Beluga Shipping (GMBH) in Bremen, Gemran, Siemens AG, Airbus Finkenwerder in Hambury and Krogger Weft and Co in Rotterdam, in the Netherlands.

With Munga's imminent exit, maritime industry stakeholders are keen to have KMA actualise the issuance of Seafarers Identity Document (SID) which has prevented Kenyan seafarers from getting jobs on board ocean going vessels transiting parts of the global ocean like in Brazilian waters.

A number of seafarers recruited by global shipping giants which deploy ships in the Brazilian maritime territory that spans some 3.6 million  square kilometres, rich in marine  biodiversity and energy resources have been denied ship boarding due to lack of SID.

"As KMA sets to reogarnise itself, we hope the new Cabinet Secretary for Shipping and Maritime, Hassan Joho can ensure that SIDs are issued," a Mombasa based seafarer, Eddy Mwabili said.