Sunday Nation
Date: 17.01.2016
Page 6
Article size: 305 cm2
ColumnCM: 67.77
AVE: 146400.0
Hiring hitch at
KAA fuels bitter
fight for control
Process of selecting new
MD to start afresh owing
to political interference,
says Transport minister
BY VINCENT ACHUKA
@vincentachuka
[email protected]
The cancellation of the hiring proc­ Airport (JKIA) to Dufry International. concerns. We, however, believe that the
ess of a new managing director
for the Kenya Airports Authority
(KAA) could further fuel the fight for
control of this crucial parastatal that has
been embroiled in a power struggle for
the past six years since the controversial
exit of Mr George Muhoho.
Transport Cabinet Secretary James
Macharia told the Sunday Nation that
five professional recruitment firms have
been shortlisted and the ministry was in
the process of picking which one would
continue with the recruitment.
"We had sent requests to 10 firms but
five made it. In the next couple of days,
the process will start afresh," he said.
"There was a lot of political interfer­
ence in the first process but, you know,
some of these institutions like KAA are
The acting MD and all but four GMs
are on acting capacity positions. At
least 120 applicants had declared their
interest to succeed Ms Lucy Mbugua,
whose position was declared vacant in
move is too little too late on various
grounds. First, that he needs to disband
the current board which has bungled
the exercise," said the federation in a
statement.
November. But the CS has turned the
"Second, he must comply with the
heat on the board, saying the process
has so far been unprofessional.
"This is not unique to KAA but all
parastatal appointments. They are faced
with the same canvassing problem and
things have to change," he said.
Mr Macharia's firm stand is likely
to drive a wedge between him and the
board that is led by former IG David
Kimaiyo, which just recently was hit by
a reshuffle as President Uhuru Kenyatta
sought to consolidate his oversight con­
recommendations of the Commission
on Administrative Justice," it said.
As the sole owner of all the public air­
ports and airstrips in the country, KAA
generates at least Shio billion per year as
revenue. It is one of the few parastatals
that make their own money outside the
ambit of the Kenya Revenue Authority
(KRA). It also issues many tenders,
hence the strong fight for control.
The MDs position has been a game
of musical chairs since Mr Muhoho re­
tired in 2009, only to be controversially
reinstated after a week by then Trans­
port minister Chirau Ali Makwere. Mr
Muhoho managed the authority for a
year before being ousted and succeeded
by Mr Stephen Gichuki, whose appoint­
ment was also mired in controversy after
Parliament initially rejected it.
Mr Gichuki was eventually ousted in
2013 after fire gutted part of the airport
The Consumers Federation of and the then marketing manager Lucy
twice and reinstated over the contro­
versial award of a tender to run duty­free Kenya (Cofek) wants the entire board Mbugua was appointed on an acting
shops at Jomo Kenyatta International disbanded. "We welcome the belated capacity.
concurrence by Mr Macharia with our
very crucial to the economy and it is
only correct if we get it right from the
start," he said.
Mr Yatich Kangungo has been at the
helm of the Authority on acting capacity
since June last year after Lucy Mbugua
was fired over the Sh2 million per bus
hiring scandal for the Apron services.
Before that she had been suspended
trol of the authority.
It is believed the former IG, who per­
formed dismally as head of the police
service, was appointed to the position
to quell protests from the URP camp of
the Jubilee Coalition. However, when
making parastatal appointments in
October, the President brought in Ms
Susan Kiama, Mr Newton Onyango and
lawyer Jacqueline Oyuyo.
Ipsos Kenya ­ Acorn House,97 James Gichuru Road ­ Lavington ­ Nairobi ­ Kenya
Sunday Nation
Date: 17.01.2016
Page 6
Article size: 305 cm2
ColumnCM: 67.77
AVE: 146400.0
Transport CS James Macharia with President Kenyatta at the Coast. Mr Macharia has
turned the heat on the KAA board, saying the process has so far been unprofessional.
Ipsos Kenya ­ Acorn House,97 James Gichuru Road ­ Lavington ­ Nairobi ­ Kenya