Kenya Railways revamps management to improve services

Kenya Railways Corporation Managing Director Atanas Maina speaks during a meeting on cargo clearance at the Inland Container Depot, at Panafric Hotel, Nairobi, on February 1, 2018. The agency has restructured its management. PHOTO | SALATON NJAU | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Transport CS James Macharia announced the demotion and transfer of 14 managers at the Kenya Ports Authority.
  • The new railway has been operating below capacity even as the government attempts to force importers and traders to use it.

The Kenya Railways Corporation has demoted almost all its senior managers in a move that could attract legal challenge.

The surprise decision that has affected at least 10 top officials was communicated during an impromptu meeting on Wednesday at 8am when Managing Director Atanas Maina summoned the managers through a WhatsApp message sent out at 4am.

The changes have left those moved in a dilemma as they have to either accept the roles and report to those who were until a few days ago their juniors - or consider leaving.

“This is a result of panic and it will not resolve the problems facing the Standard Gauge Railway. If the matter is competence or performance, does it make sense that some of the people who have been promoted have lower qualifications and were not even interviewed for the positions?” a source at Kenya Railways, posed

STAFF

However, Mr Maina told the Sunday Nation that the changes were linked to the performance of the SGR, adding that they were in line with the public sector human resources management.

“The corporation is changing its organisational structure and staff establishment,” Mr Maina said, denying reports that undeserving cases were favoured.

“At the general management level, the board did suitability assessment. Some made it while others did not.”

The MD said in areas where the corporation did not get the required personnel, an advertisement would be made and those who did not make it given another chance to try.

KENYA PORTS AUTHORITY

Those affected include long-serving Finance General Manager Alfred Matheka (reassigned as Financial Controller), Corporate Affairs Manager Mary Oyuke (reassigned as Assistant Corporate Affairs Manager), ICT Manager Ibrahim Mwadime (now Assistant ICT Manager), Security Manager Nicholas Mutunga (reassigned as Assistant Security Manager), Procurement Manager Lucy Njoroge (reassigned as Inventory Manager), General Manager Business Development Thuranira Kinagwi (reassigned as Research and Development Manager), Risk and Audit Manager Remy Koech reassigned as Corporate Auditor), Senior Legal Manager Victoria Mulwa (reassigned as Assistant Manager Legal Services), Senior Legal Manager Stanley Gitari (reassigned as Assistant Manager Legal Services) and Financial Account Manager Jackline Mboga, who is now Assistant Finance Manager.

The decision came as Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia announced in Mombasa the demotion and transfer of 14 out of 16 managers at the Kenya Ports Authority on Thursday.

The announcement was unusual since such changes are ordinarily made by parastatal boards and managing directors, and is linked to the Jubilee administration’s frustrations at the operations of the SGR freight service.

The new railway has been operating below capacity even as the government attempts to force importers and traders to use it.

“This is due to the senior general managers’ performance and governance that have impacted on the general performance of the port,” Mr Macharia said on Thursday, adding that the decision was reached by the board.

INTERVIEWS

At Kenya Railways, our sources indicated that though the corporation has been seeking to restructure, the sudden changes have raised concerns on the treatment of senior staff.

The process appeared to have taken an unexpected turn on February 22 when senior managers were required to take a “suitability test” in front of the board.

“It involved appearing before the board and making a presentation on your role before going through a basic oral interview without any clear criteria on how marks were awarded. Nobody looked at the past appraisal,” a manager who went through the process said, adding that they were then called on Wednesday and told about the changes without any indication of the “results” being relied on.

Another official questioned the board’s procedures: “We do not report to the board. If there are performance issues, it is the managing director who should be answerable. Why should managers be sacrificed?