Kenya: Acting Finance Minister Acts Tough on Port's Authority

Government seems to be working in an unprecedented fashion in Kenya; Roads are being repaired, laxity and inefficiency is being addressed, Members of Parliament are being held more accountable and the rule of law seems to be applying to the political elite more than it ever has before. This has probably come on the back of a pervasive mentality that the country must move forward from the dark, old era of bloated, inefficient government and the tighter media scrutiny of the work of Kenya's Coalition Government. Among the stand-out Ministers in this Government have been the Prime Minister, Raila Odinga, and maverick Acting Finance Minister, John Michuki. Mr. Michuki is famous for bringing sanity to the transport sector while serving as Transport Minister in the previous Government. He now is bringing order to Kenya's port where cargo delays, mismanagement and inefficiency has hampered the work of the most important port along the Eastern shore of Africa. The Acting Finance Minister was exactly what the port needed after years of inaction on its many ills. Among the sweeping reforms ordered by the Minister was the destruction of 700 imported vehicles and cargo in 7,000 containers abandoned at the port. He also issued directives to various agencies to comply with and enhance the Port's 24 hour operation. The Port's reforms should serve to remove the virtual bottleneck that the Port had become to its clients.

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