![Kaya elder from Kwale county Juma Shabani Mwakiroho addressing a press conference outside the Mama Ngina Waterfront in Mombasa county. The kaya elders have asked Senate Speaker Amason Kingi Jeffah to stop meddling in the affairs of the Kenya Ports Authority [KPA] management and urged him to concentrate on his work at the senate assembly and the tough political encounters ahead of him.](https://thetruth.co.ke/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/00015.00_00_11_16.Still006-e1745331750297.jpg)
A section of Kwale County residents has strongly urged Senate Speaker Amason Kingi to refrain from interfering with the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA)’s top management decisions.
Speaking at a press briefing held outside the Mama Ngina Waterfront in Mombasa, the residents expressed displeasure over Kingi’s alleged attempts to block the renewal of KPA Board Chairman Benjamin Dalu Tayari’s contract. They called on Kingi to focus on his Senate duties and prepare for the political challenges that lie ahead.
Though they didn’t mention Kingi by name, the residents referred to him as a powerful politician from Kilifi County who previously served as a Cabinet Minister and Governor. They questioned his interest in opposing Tayari’s continued leadership at the authority.
“When Tayari’s predecessor, Joseph Kibwana from Kilifi County, served as KPA Board Chairman, we in Kwale fully supported him—even when his tenure was extended beyond the norm by the previous administration,”
said one resident.
The group, led by Patrick Mangale and Daniel Kitsao, accused Kingi of forming alliances aimed at blocking Tayari’s reappointment and allegedly lobbying for a former KPA Managing Director from Kilifi to take over.
Mangale, accompanied by Mijikenda elders, defended Tayari’s track record, highlighting his collaboration with current Managing Director Captain William Ruto. He praised their joint efforts in transforming the port’s performance.
“KPA’s management under Tayari and Ruto has created a conducive environment for business despite global economic headwinds,”
Mangale said.
“When they took over, the port handled 1.4 million TEUs (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units). In under a year, that figure rose to 1.6 million—and recently, the port hit the 2 million TEU mark.”
According to Mangale, this growth led to employee bonuses—an achievement he called remarkable given the current economic struggles facing the country.
Kitsao echoed those sentiments, saying the duo played a key role in revitalizing port operations after disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. He noted significant improvements in ship turnaround times, cargo handling, and container traffic.
The residents also credited Tayari and Ruto for fully operationalizing key infrastructure projects such as the Dongo Kundu and Naivasha Special Economic Zones, along with the Shimoni fishing port—all pivotal to boosting Kenya’s blue economy and creating youth employment.
Describing the two leaders as “twin-engine drivers of progress,” the community urged the government to renew both their contracts.
Juma Shabani Mwakiroho, a Mijikenda elder from Kwale, added his voice to the appeal, emphasizing the unity and effectiveness of the duo.
“Our heartfelt appeal to the Head of State is to consider the renewal of both Tayari and Captain Ruto’s contracts,”
he said.
“They work in unison, and their leadership has brought tangible results.”
