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Little-known safety expert to replace Meja at NTSA

meja

Outgoing NTSA director-general Francis Meja. FILE PHOTO | NMG

The board of the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has appointed George Njao as the agency’s new director-general to take over from Francis Meja.

In a memo sent to newsrooms on Tuesday, the NTSA acting chairperson Alice Chesire said Mr Njao’s contract runs for three years up to 2022.

Ms Chesire did not disclose where Mr Njao has worked or when he will be taking over at the transport authority.

However, Mr Meja told the Business Daily that Mr Njao has been working at Phoenix Aviation.

“He has been working at the airline in the department of safety management. It is not like he is joining the NTSA immediately. He will take over in December when I will be leaving the authority,” said Mr Meja.

Mr Njao has more than 15 years experience in the transport sector, specifically in safety management. He holds a master’s degree and a Bachelor of Science from Central Missouri State University, USA.

In the latest changes, the NTSA also appointed Mr Badu Katelo as the director for roads safety, taking over from Njeri Waithaka.

Ms Waithaka left the agency early this year after police raided the agency’s offices and arrested senior staff over allegations of facilitating registration of the DusitD2 terror attack vehicle.

The agency also appointed Christopher Wanjau as the director for registration and licensing.

He is taking over from Jacqueline Githinji who left the NTSA after her term ended in July.

The changes also saw the authority appoint Shalakha Shem as the deputy director of Supply Chain Management.

Mr Meja will have served at the NTSA for six years.

He was instrumental in setting up the NTSA and taking up several mandates previously assigned to agencies such as Kenya Revenue Authority, Transport Licensing Board and the National Police Service.

Mr Meja used latest technology and consolidated the authority’s services on one online platform known as the Transport Integrated Management System.