KMA commercial shipping head named acting boss

Kenya Maritime Authorty has appointed John Odira Oming’o as its acting director general until a substantive office holder is recruited.

His appointment by the board of directors was effective on July 15.

Oming'o holds the position left vacant after former director general Major (Rtd) George Okong'o resigned earlier this month. The circumstances were unclear.

The former Kenya Navy officer who had served in the military for 20 years took over charge of KMA on October 12, 2018.

Insiders said Okong’o might have resigned over the controversy surrounding construction of the Sh1.8 billion, 15-storey KMA complex in Mbaraki area.

“Mr. John Odira Oming'o brings to KMA a wealth of experience spanning 29 years in the maritime sector,” KMA chairman Geoffrey Mwango said in a statement on Wednesday.

Omingo has worked as a commercial maritime officer at the Kenya Ports Authority for 15 years and 14 years as the head of commercial shipping at KMA.

He holds a bachelor of Education (Hons) Science degree from Kenyatta University and a master's of science degree in Commercial Shipping Management from the World Maritime University in Sweden.

He also holds a Post Graduate Diploma (Distinction) in Ports, Shipping and Transport Management from the International Maritime Transport Academy in the Netherlands.

The new acting boss is an alumnus of Strathmore Business School in Nairobi, the Lagos Business School in Nigeria and the IESE Business School in Barcelona, Spain where he undertook an Advanced Senior Management  Programme.

Omingo has also attended short-term courses in Management and the Maritime Transport industry and is a  member of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers in the UK.

KMA was established in June 2004 as the government agency in charge of maritime affairs, under the Ministry of Transport.

(Edited by V. Graham)