NEW EATING JOINT UNVEILED

 Mr. Gichiri Ndua cuts the tape to mark official opening of UKOMBOZI hotel. Looking on are Union officials

 

A pocketfriendly hotel “Ukombozi” has been opened at the Container Terminal. Ukombozi hotel is an initiative of 25 employees at the container operations and is aimed at offering affordable meals. The new joint will enable staff save time by having their meals nearer to their work stations. Addressing staff, the Managing Director who was the Chief Guest at the event commended the founders for coming up with the idea which will go a long way in saving time at the busy terminal. In appreciation he treated patrons to sumptuous lunch. “ This project , as small as it may appear will go a long way in enhancing productivity and make the Port a better working place”, he said.

  The Chairman of UKOMBOZI hotel Project , Mr. Michael Menjo said the hotel was established at a cost of Kshs. 800,000. The Deputy Secretary General of Dock Workers Union Mr. Abubakar Abdullahi thanked the management for supporting the initiative. He also appealed for provision of adequate washrooms at the container operations. Others in attendance were the Head of Human Resources Mr. Amani Komora, Head of Container Operations Mr. Soud Mwasinago and the „Wajibika‟ Project team

TIME MANAGEMENT GOES DIGITAL

 

KPA'S Managing Director flags off the Time Management prossession that was going round the port to sensitize workers on the Digital Time Management system and its benefits

Kenya Ports Authority on Tuesday launched a flagship project that is aimed at changing time management system from the current cumbersome manual clocking to an easy and reliable digital system at the KPA Headquarters.

The digital system that is expected to go live on 1^st of April 2015 will come along with many benefits to both the staff and the Authority. The biometric clocking system will be connected to SAP system hence employees will be able to track their working hours via Employee Self Service (ESS).

Speaking during the event the Managing Director Mr. Gichiri Ndua said that digital time management will enhance productivity only if we spend the time in the port working. He stated that the only undoing at the Port is ‘Uzembe’ and therefore requested that we must be our brother’s keeper to remind one another on our roles.

Mr. Ndua also said that he noticed that everyone is happy to be associated with the Port container throughput hitting over a million teus last year. “It is natural that everyone needs to be associated with good things but we should ask ourselves what was our role towards the achievement of the good thing” added the MD.

On the other hand the Dock Workers Union Secretary General Mr. Simeon Sang praised Management for initiating programmes at work place that are aimed at making work easier and in turn enhance overall port productivity. “I would like to assure the Management that the Union staff shall embrace the digital time management system and any other programme that is aimed at enhancing port efficiency” said Sang.

The Secretary General added that he held talks with Governors from Kwale, Mombasa and Kilifi Counties about the possibility of constructing a Dry Port in Mariakani. The Port of Mombasa is experiencing a growth rate of cargo volumes of about 10 per cent and the expansion area is limited. He stated that the proposed dry port will be the solution to port congestion and matching the very increase in cargo volumes. He urged Management to support the idea.

Expressing his gratification on the cordial relationship between Management and Union, the General Manager Human Resources Mr. Salim Chingabwi thanked the Union leadership for disowning absenteeism among its members. He noted that despite the new time management system capability to tackle absenteeism and leaving work area before scheduled time by staff there is need to discourage the vices.

Mr. Chingabwi further said that ports in proximity are camping in the transit countries to do intensive marketing. It is therefore important as KPA staff we up our game to make the Port of Mombasa the port of choice.

The event was graced by General Managers, Heads of Departments and Dock Workers officials.

The Managing Director thereafter flagged off a prossession that will go round the port to sensitize workers on the Digital Time Management system and its benefits. The sensitization exercise will go on for the whole week.

KPA TO INSTALL MPESA PAYMENT SYSTEM

The Managing director Mr. Gichiri Ndua hands over a plaque to the Safaricom CEO Mr. Bob Collymore, while Heads of Marketing and Human resources oversee.

The Kenya Ports Authority is in the process of installing MPESA Technology to its cash payment system to reduce handling of huge amounts of money at its cash office. This was revealed recently by the KPA Managing Director Mr. Gichiri Ndua, when he hosted the Safaricom CEO at the port.

“We are in the process of making provision to include MPESA technology to our payment system by integrating it into our SAP System”, he said.

He added that this will be for both KPA customers and employees where KPA can pay through MPESA in small ad hoc transactions such as subsistence, imprest, and others. The programme is expected to start by April this year.

KPA also will in conjunction with Safaricom, upgrade the programme which embeds its Hand Held Terminals(HHTs) under the KWATOS system at the Container Terminal from 3G to 4G to enhance its connectivity.

 KPA installed the Kilindini Waterfront Terminal Operations System(KWATOS) to automate our terminal operations. One aspect is the yard operations which gives real time and online information by use of Hand Held Terminals (HHT). This enables the operators to key in the cargo stack position.

“These HHTs are embedded on Simcard and we would like to boost their Network by upgrading from 3G to 4G” Mr. Ndua added.

KPA also plans to install Solar Panels to boost power supply to the wireless system to minimize loss time due to frequent power fluctuations. Power surges have in the past affected port operations due to equipment downtime.