Former Kenya Ports Authority [KPA] General manager for corporate services Justus Omae Nyarandi has emerged top among six shortlisted candidates interviewed for the position of KPA Managing Director.

The position became vacant after former MD Daniel Manduku resigned March last year (2020).

Nyarandi is currently the Executive Secretary of the Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Coordination Authority (NCTTCA) based in Mombasa county.

According to a reliable source, former Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission [IEBC] chief executive officer [CEO] Ezra Chiloba came second during the interview conducted by a panel of interviewers led by KPA board of directors chairman Joseph Kibwana.

The interview which took place last week at KPA headquarters saw former Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia-Transport Corridor chief executive officer Silvester Kasuku becoming third at the end of the three day exercise.

The three names have already been forwarded to Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani who is expected to recommend the appointee to be approved by the Head of State before the end of next week.

Other candidates who had been shortlisted for the fresh interviews are former KPA General Manager in charge of Kisumu port Sudi Mwasingo who has now been  transferred back to his former post as General Manager Operation and Harbour master to take over from Captain William Ruto, former Principal Secretary at the Gender Ministry Mwanamaka Mabruki who previously worked at the port, former NSSF Managing Trustee-turned-politician Alex Kazongo who served as KPA General manager finance and little known Jimmy Ziro.

In previous interviews three candidates who had passed the short-listing stage failed to meet the required 70 percent mark to clinch the post forcing the government to repeat the whole process.

The KPA board was forced to go back to the drawing board after Yatani ordered a repeat of the recruitment exercise for Manduku’s successor.

It has also emerged that there was no age limit for the applicants to fill the post at the port which is perceived to be a cash cow for the 2022 general elections.