NTSA moves deputy directors in another major shake-up

NTSA Director-General Francis Meja during a media briefing in Nairobi on November 26, 2018. PHOTO | MARTIN MUKANGU | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Director-General Francis Meja moved several deputy directors including Cosmas Ngeso, who was arrested but was not charged.
  • Deputy Director Ngeso was moved from the registration department to safety compliance driver training and testing.
  • The changes come months after Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i disbanded the authority's board and appointed a new six-member team.

The National Transport Safety Authority (NTSA) has announced a major shake-up of its staff at all levels, months after some officers were arrested over double registration of vehicles in connection to the dusitD2 terror attack.

In the changes dated April 2, Director-General Francis Meja moved several deputy directors including Cosmas Ngeso, who was arrested but was not charged.

Deputy Director Ngeso was moved from the registration department to safety compliance driver training and testing.

Col (Rtd) Hared Hassan Adan was moved from safety compliance to licensing and Wilson Tuigong from licensing to registration.

Ms Christine Ogut, the outgoing Deputy director of Infrastructure and Projects was named the acting Director of Road Safety.

In an internal memo, Mr Meja said clerical officers and officers were transferred effective April 1 while principal motor vehicles inspectors were expected to move to their new stations by May 1. Motor vehicles inspectors will have moved by June 1.

Mr Meja explained that the different reporting dates would ensure continuity.

“All heads of department and regional managers are requested to assist all staff settle down in their stations, [determine] their new leave approvers and submit reporting dates," the director-general said.

PAST TRANSFERS

In March, the NTSA announced the transfers of top management in an effort to improve services.

The reorganisation saw the transfer of 227 employees from the motor vehicle inspection and registration departments.

The agency has since advertised key management positions aimed at improving capacity to meet stakeholder expectations.

The positions to be filled are Director Registration and Licensing, Director Road Safety, Deputy Supply Chain, Deputy Director Motor Vehicle Inspection, Manager Supply Chain and Manager ICT.

The changes come months after Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i disbanded the authority's board and appointed a new six-member team.

The six are John Ndege Obwocha, Catherine Njeri Waweru, Alice Chepchumba Chesire, Francis Kirinya Mwongo, Moses Nderitu Gachemi, and Meshak Kidenda.

POLICE RAID

In January, detectives raided NTSA offices seeking answers on the double registration of vehicles.

The raid came days after an insurance official was arraigned alongside 16 others over the January 15 terror attack in Nairobi which left 21 people dead.

The attack reignited the debate on vehicles with the same number plates after it emerged that there was a car with the same registration number as the vehicle that Al-Shabaab terrorists used.

The NTSA is mandated with the task of vehicle registrations in the country.