The Kenya ports authority (KPA) is set to re advertise for the post of Managing Director  after six shortlisted candidates failed to meet the pass marks of 70 per cent.

It has emerged the three candidates never met the threshold required for the position forcing the government to go back to the drawing board.

Former Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia-Transport Corridor chief executive officer Silvester Kasuku came third after he managed to score 63 per cent marks.

Both former Principal Secretary at the Gender ministry Mwanamaka Mabruki who has previously worked at the port and Murshid Rashid who is maritime expert tied with a score of 67 per cent marks.

This leaves KPA acting managing director Rashid Salim at the helm and whose contract was extended for another three months on Monday to continue until a qualified successor for former embattled MD Daniel Manduku is found.

Rashid has attained his retirement age and he is due to retire end of this year ahead of the 2022 general election.

According to a source, Treasury cabinet secretary Ukur Yatani was forced to call for an urgent KPA board meeting at his treasury office in Nairobi on Friday.