Hasten KPA boss hiring

What you need to know:

  • To curb the endemic corruption in the public sector, it is absolutely essential to pick the very best people.
  • It is the best guarantee that organisations will be efficiently managed.

Competitive recruitment of the top managers and board members of public institutions is the surest way to ensure that resources are not only safeguarded, but also put to good use. The many parastatals and other government agencies command substantive funds that risk being mismanaged or stolen outright.

It is when the hiring is transparent that the most potentially capable people can come forward and be vetted. In the past, some of these high positions have been filled by people whose only qualification was being the cronies of the appointing authorities. Some are placed in those positions to abet theft.

To curb the endemic corruption in the public sector, it is absolutely essential to pick the very best people with the right expertise, knowledge, and experience to manage these organisations. It is the best guarantee that they will be efficiently managed.

Administrative acumen

This is why the recruitment of the managing director of the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) is being keenly followed. This is a key parastatal that serves the country and its landlocked neighbours. The job has been vacant for nearly a year.

The turnover of CEOs at the KPA has been too high. National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani, under whose portfolio KPA falls, says none of the candidates scored 70 per cent in the interviews.

The search for the new managing director has failed for the third time, drawing public scepticism. Critics are wondering whether someone wants to manipulate this for selfish gain. What is so magical about this 70 per cent? Couldn’t the CS have picked the one who scored the highest marks? There is more to this than meets the eye.

The KPA needs to recruit for the big job an individual with a high degree of integrity and professionalism and an impeccable administrative acumen. The recruitment must be completed as soon as possible.