- For the first time, the giant union will have a woman assistant general secretary in Nimo Ibrahim and a woman national treasurer in Nana Mote.
- Mote said with women in the office "expect work to be smooth this time".
Simon Sang has retained his Dock Workers Union general secretary position and will serve for five more years until 2026.
He garnered 1,055 votes against 12 other contestants, with his closest challenger, Mikindani MCA Renson Thoya, managing 846 votes.
Mohamed Juma Mwasera will take over from Mohamed Sheria as the union chairperson.
And in a statement of intent, Sang warned the Kenya Ports Authority management that it will not be business as usual.
"The last term was turbulent and management took advantage of this. This time it will not be business as usual," he said.
Sang said he tried diplomacy in the last term.
"But management has proven that diplomacy never works," he said in his victory speech at the KPA headquarters' boardroom, where he was declared the winner by the DWU Elections Board chairperson, Alice Taabu.
"We need to put on our gloves and ensure effective representation of our members."
He said first on the agenda will be promotion.
“All pending promotions must be dispensed with within three weeks upon registration of the union officials with the Registrar of Trade Unions in the next seven days,” Sang said.
“All those who have been working on higher grades must be promoted with effect from the time they were first appointed.”
Sang intends to call a Joint Industrial Council to resolve the 30 per cent cap on overtime.
He said the management and the union must sign an MoU so that workers, upon attaining the 30 per cent ceiling on hours of work, will not work for a minute more.
Alternatively, Sang said, workers who do overtime must be paid immediately.
Outgoing chairman Sheria's reign was marred by wrangles. He did not see eye-to-eye with Sang.
However, newly elected chairman Mwasera said the new office will be devoid of wrangles.
"We will streamline the working system of the union by bringing unity," he said. "We don't want to go back to what happened in the last term."
For the first time, the giant union will have a woman assistant general secretary in Nimo Ibrahim and a woman national treasurer in Nana Mote.
Ibrahim got 674 votes, beating Bernard Kokonya, who was in Sang’s camp, to second position with 540 votes. Sulman Owuor was third with 494 votes.
Mote beat Gladys Chepkorir, who was in Sang's camp – nicknamed Simba Camp – to also make history in the DWU.
Simba is the moniker given to Sang owing to his long stay at the helm. He has been at the helm for 15 years and this win will take him to 20 years as general secretary should he complete it.
Mote garnered 1,109 votes. Chepkorir managed 522 votes, also behind Selestine Osoo, who emerged second with 934 votes.
This is the first time since 1954, when the union was established, that the national treasurer position is being held by a woman.
Mote takes over from Joseph Makero who has retired.
Mote said with women in the office "expect work to be smooth this time".
Gunda Kaneno retained his seat as the vice chairman with Bula Kalama as the assistant treasurer.
Edited by Josephine M. Mayuya