KPA gets new boss hours after Manduku resigned
The board of directors of Kenya Port Authority (KPA) has appointed Eng Rashi Salim as the Managing Director on an acting capacity after Dr Daniel Manduku resigned.
Joseph Kibwana, KPA chairman, confirmed the appointment of Salim a day after Manduki presented his resignation letter to Transport Cabinet Secretary, James Macharia.
Macharia said in statement on Friday that Salim’s appointment acting managing director takes immediate effect, pending the advertisement and recruitment of a substantive managing director of KPA.
Kibwana said Eng. Salim has been at KPA for a while and that he understands how the port operates mainly due to his experience. Salim has worked at KPA for over 38 years.
Salim has been serving as the general manager at the engineering services department. He was appointed as general manager after serving as the head of marine engineering at the agency.
The decision to appoint him was arrived at after a daylong meeting called by the board of director to deliberate on the matter held at KPA the board of directors met to deliberate on Manduku’s resignation.
Transport Principal Secretary, Solomon Kitungu, also attended the meeting. He was sent by Macharia to represent him at the meeting.
Manduku resigned saying after “deep introspection and wide consultations,” he decided to tender his resignation.” Manduku said his resignation will take effect on June 1.
Manduku is facing corruption related charges – some of which include unlawfully awarding tenders for the construction of cargo storage facilities at the Nairobi Inland Container Depot (ICD).
He first served in the MD position in an acting capacity on May 30, 2018 after replacing Ms Catherine Mturi-Wairi, who was sent on compulsory leave by the KPA board due to lack of effective leadership.
His first two months contract lapsed on July 31, 2018 but the board of KPA extended it on on August 1, by four months up to November 30. However when the extension period elapsed Macharia confirmed him to the position.
Manduku and KRA commissioner customs and border control, Kevin Safari were arraigned before a Nairobi court by the beginning of the year but were released after the Director of public Prosecutions Noordin Haji declined to approve the charges against them.
The two were arrested and held in custody, however, when they were brought before Senior Principal Magistrate Kennedy Cheruiyot, no prosecutor was there to prosecute the case. However, only his lawyers and an officer from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations were in court.
However, when he appeared before Cheruiyot after a brief delay, assistant director of public prosecution Joseph Riungu told the court that he does not know why the two were brought to court.
According to the prosecutor, the DPP had instructed that they be released on police bond as he looked into the matter.
A charge sheet released a day earlier indicated that Manduku and Safari would be charged with unlawfully awarding tenders for the construction of cargo storage facilities at the Nairobi Inland Container Depot (ICD). There were to face a total of 11 counts.
Cheruiyot said it was not fair to continue holding the two in the cells yet there was no charge sheet and due to the difference between DPP and DCI, Manduku walked out of the court a free man.
