By TWV Team
A coalition of influential business leaders from Kenya’s Coast region has urged President William Ruto to immediately dissolve the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) Board, citing grave allegations of insider trading, procurement fraud, and cronyism favouring politically connected individuals.
This demand follows explosive media reports exposing a multi-billion-shilling tender allegedly authorised by the Managing Director’s office, uncovering entrenched graft within one of the country’s key revenue agencies.
Whistleblower accounts and leaked documents point to extensive procurement malpractice at KPA, including inflated contracts, irregular tenders, and outright breaches of public procurement regulations. The revelations have outraged the business community, which claims billions in public funds have been siphoned off through sham deals.
Mombasa businessman Athman Haroun Ismael, Kilifi’s Kenga Mrima, and Yatour Kirui have accused the KPA Board of lacking moral legitimacy, describing it as a political reward scheme that undermines merit and professionalism.
Those implicated include Board Chairman Benjamin Dalu Tayari, Transport Principal Secretary Mohamed Daghar, Lucas Maitha, Lawrence Kibet, Dr Consolata Lusweti, Daniel Muriungi Mugao, and Beatrice Nyamoita. The business leaders argue these officials are unfit for public office and allege some enjoy close ties to senior Kenya Kwanza figures.
Among the contentious deals is a KSh 200 million contract linked to Lusweti for painting stands at the Likoni Channel. The tender was reportedly awarded to a Somali businessman acting as a proxy, bypassing standard procedures and yielding substandard results.
Tayari faces separate allegations of enabling corrupt networks through shell companies and acquiring a KSh 40 million luxury vehicle under questionable circumstances. Lusweti, said to be a close ally of Musalia Mudavadi, plans to contest for Kakamega’s Woman Representative seat.
Dr Consolata Lusweti (right), a close ally of Musalia Mudavadi, is reportedly eyeing the Kakamega Woman Representative seat. [Photo: Courtesy]
In response, KPA’s Corporate Communication Department issued a statement saying:
“KPA has taken note of recent media reports alleging irregularities in certain procurement processes within the organisation. These media reports do not reflect the facts or the operational standards of KPA.”
Despite the denial, the business leaders remain unconvinced, describing the board as a politically compromised entity with no genuine commitment to ethical leadership or port development. They allege board members are exploiting their positions to build personal war chests ahead of future political campaigns, a claim underscored by Lusweti’s public show of wealth and Maitha’s ongoing regional manoeuvring.
In a strongly worded statement, the business group called on Kenya’s investigative arms, including the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), and the Asset Recovery Agency, to probe the board’s conduct without delay.
“We are appalled, but not surprised, by these revelations exposing the looting spree at KPA. We raised concerns in 2023 when the current board was appointed, and unfortunately, we’ve been vindicated. The government favoured tenderpreneurs over professionals,” they said.
Their appeal to President Ruto is unequivocal: dissolve the entire board to pave the way for impartial investigations and restore public confidence in one of Kenya’s most vital state corporations.
As pressure intensifies, the future of the embattled board, and the broader integrity of the government’s anti-corruption drive, now hangs in the balance.
