BY PATRICK BEJA and LINAH BENYAWA
A row is simmering between Coast leaders and Transport Minister Amos Kimunya over the newly appointed Kenya Ports Authority ( KPA) board of directors.
Lobby groups and leaders from the Coast region say they are not pleased as the appointment does not reflect Kenyan regional diversities.
Led by Coast Parliamentary Group (CPG) chairman Benedict Gunda, they were saddened by the move by Transport Minister Amos Kimunya to appoint three quarters of the directors from one ethnic group. Coast leaders say the appointments at the KPA Board does not take into account regional representation[Photo: File/Standard]
"What Kimunya has done is against the new law. Where are the other Kenyans because only one ethnic group has been represented a sign of tribalism," said Gunda.
Also a section of clerics have threatened to take legal action if the list was not nullified and the Port Workersâ Union threatened to withdraw labour unless the government restructured the current KPA board to have a national outlook.
Dock Workers Union general secretary Mr Simon Sang said the 6,200-member organisation was disappointed by the recent appointments and was writing a petition to President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga to reverse it.
He said the union was also inviting the Central Organisation of Trade Unions (Cotu) secretary general Mr Francis Atwoli to intervene in the row.
" KPA is a national institution and we want the appointments to reflect all regions in line with the Constitution. We will call a strike if the board is not restructured to represent the face of Kenya," Sang warned.
Sang called for the amendment to the KPA Act Chapter 391, which gives the Transport Minister and PS exclusive rights to appoint the board and managing directors saying there should be room for vetting.
On Monday, Transport assistant ministerâ Hassan Joho toured Mombasa port and defended Mr Kimunya over the controversial appointments to the KPA board insisting they were justified.
