Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) workers will now be required to sign performance contracts to boost efficiency in the face of stiff competition from neighbouring ports.

Managing director Gichiri Ndua on Wednesday told workers to “up their game” so that business does not shift to Dar-es-Salaam port.

The Tanzanian port is expected to become more competitive in the region with the ongoing improvement of the central corridor and construction of a port in Bagamoyo. Dar is also reconstructing the central corridor linking Burundi and Democratic Republic of Congo.

The northern corridor linking Mombasa with Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan has been cited as one of the routes in the region with the highest number of non-tariff barriers.

“We have put in place elaborate programmes to provide capacity to handle the growing cargo volumes and what we now need is to have the right working attitude,” Mr Ndua said.

He was speaking during the launch of a Performance Management System and Transformation Framework at KPA headquarters in Mombasa.

The system, developed by consulting firm Deloitte and Touche, is based on the balanced scorecard planning and seeks to help workers understand their roles in an organisation and maintain a shared vision and strategy.

Mr Ndua noted that KPA had invested in modern equipment, constructed berth 19 and carried out dredging at a cost of over Sh10 billion and was also undertaking construction of a 1.2 million TEU container terminal in order to increase capacity.

“For us, the system presents the opportunity to take stock of the collective changes in our organisation in regard to port services, technology and new policies required to meet new competitive challenges,” he added.

Source: Business Daily

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