Kipchumba Murkomen: Govt Approves KSh 700m Bonus Payment To KPA Employees

• The government has approved a bonus payment of KSh 700 million for Kenya Ports Authority employees
• Transport CS Kipchumba Murkomen said KPA workers deserve the bonus for their productive work that has elevated the ports' score globally
• Murkomen challenged the workers to benchmark with not only regional competitors but also global leaders like Singapore Port

TUKO.co.ke journalist Wycliffe Musalia brings over five years of experience in financial, business, and technology reporting, offering deep insights into Kenyan and global economic trends.

Kenya Ports Authority workers (KPA) have a reason to smile this Christmas season.

This followed government approval of a KSh 700 million bonus payment for the financial year 2020/2021.

Why Ruto awarded KPA workers

Presiding over the award ceremony on Tuesday, December 19, at the KPA headquarters in Mombasa, Transport CS Kipchumba Murkomen congratulated the employees for elevating the KPA's rating internationally.

"The highly anticipated FY 2020/21 performance bonus for Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) employees has been granted. The award, which the workers earned because of the port's very good score rating, is proof that the government recognises and rewards productive work," said Murkomen.

Murkomen said the award is part of President William Ruto's promise to improve public service to enhance efficiency and delivery of services to the public.

The CS noted that KPA has adhered to the industry's best practice of building capacity ahead of demand.

Mombasa Port capacity

The Port of Mombasa recorded total cargo throughput growth of 1.587 million tonnes or 5.1%.

The port handled 32,950,000 tonnes in January-November 2023, compared with the same period in 2022.

This growth arose from an increase in the handling of transit cargo by 1.017 million tonnes.

CS Murkomen projected that the port will handle 35 million tonnes at the close of the year 2023

"The government is committed to improving the business environment through its agencies, and this will, in turn, create employment opportunities and lower the cost of living for Kenyans," he added.

He challenged all port workers and management to up their game and match with global leaders.

"It is good to compare ourselves with the best ports in the world. We now focus on global ports like the port of Singapore and others," he said.

Privatisation of Mombasa and other ports

This followed the move by KPA to lease Mombasa Port, among the five port facilities listed for privatisation by the government.

The move sparked controversies, which saw the Taireni Association of the Mijikenda community move to court to stop the sale of the facilities.

High Court issued temporary stay orders on the move by Ruto's administration.