Kenya’s Maritime Sector in Crisis: Need for National Dialogue

By Andrew Mwangura 

Email, thecoastnewspaper@gmail.com

Kenya’s maritime sector stands at a critical juncture. The coastal region, once a beacon of opportunity and prosperity through its strategic position along international shipping routes, now simmers with tension that threatens to boil over into a full-blown crisis.

Seafarers, students, and their families have reached a breaking point, their frustrations manifesting in what can only be described as a sector in disarray.

Storm of Neglect

The issues plaguing Kenya’s maritime industry are not isolated incidents, but rather symptoms of systematic neglect and poor governance.

For a country with over 500 kilometers of coastline along one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, Kenya’s failure to develop a robust maritime infrastructure represents a squandered national asset of immense proportions.

At the heart of this crisis lies a web of interconnected challenges. Kenyan seafarers find themselves in the precarious position of holding certificates that lack international recognition due to the absence of proper Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with global maritime authorities.

The situation is further compounded by the unavailability of Seafarers’ Identification Documents (SIDs), effectively landlocking our maritime professionals in an industry that is inherently global.

Maritime Education and Training (MET) institutions across the country struggle with insufficient budgetary allocations, outdated equipment, and a critical shortage of qualified instructors. How can we expect to produce world-class maritime professionals when our training facilities operate on shoestring budgets with inadequate resources?

Human Cost

Behind these systemic failures are real human stories – stories of young cadets unable to complete their training due to the absence of training berths and a national training vessel. 

There are experienced seafarers whose qualifications remain unrecognized by the Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA), limiting their career progression. And there are countless graduates facing unemployment despite global demand for maritime professionals.

The lack of a transparent nomination process for sea cadets has created an environment ripe for nepotism and corruption, where opportunities are allocated not based on merit but on connections.

Meanwhile, the absence of a National Syllabus Committee and Merchant Navy Training Board has resulted in uncoordinated training programs that fail to meet international standards.

The absence of a National Syllabus Committee and a Quality Standard System has led to inconsistent training standards across institutions, making it difficult to ensure quality, accountability, and uniformity in maritime education.

Perhaps most telling of all is Kenya’s failure to establish a National Merchant Fleet, leaving us dependent on foreign vessels and forfeiting the economic and strategic advantages that come with a strong national shipping presence.

National Dialogue

The time for piecemeal solutions has passed. Kenya needs a comprehensive national roundtable dialogue that brings together all stakeholders in the maritime sector.

This dialogue must include representation from government agencies including the Kenya Maritime Authority, State Department for Shipping and Maritime Affairs, and Kenya Ports Authority, and maritime education and training institutions.

Others are professional associations representing seafarers and maritime workers, international maritime organizations and potential partners, industry employers, both local and international, and students and cadets who represent the future of the sector.

The roundtable dialogue should not be merely consultative, but must produce a binding Maritime Sector Recovery Plan with clear timelines, responsibilities, and funding commitments. 

Key priorities should include: first, establishing international recognition for Kenyan maritime certifications through proper MoUs, second, implementing an efficient system for issuing Seafarers’ Identification Documents, third, estructuring budgetary allocations to adequately fund MET institutions.

Fourth, creating a national framework for seafarer training including the establishment of a Merchant Navy Training Board, a National Syllabus Committee, and a robust Quality Standard System, fifth, investing in a national training vessel and securing international partnerships for cadet berths, sixth, ensuring KNQA recognition of maritime qualifications to enhance career pathways, seventh, establishing a transparent and merit-based system for cadet nominations, and eighth, developing a strategy for creating a Kenyan Merchant Fleet

Economic Imperative

Beyond addressing the immediate grievances, this national dialogue must recognize the economic potential of a thriving maritime sector. 

The blue economy represents one of Kenya’s most underutilized resources, with potential contributions to GDP that could rival traditional economic pillars such as agriculture and tourism.

A robust maritime sector creates jobs not just at sea but across a wide spectrum of support services. It strengthens national security, reduces dependency on foreign shipping, and positions Kenya as a maritime hub in the region.

Furthermore, with the African Continental Free Trade Area gaining momentum, a strong maritime presence would give Kenya a competitive edge in intra-African trade.

The tensions in Kenya’s maritime sector are not merely sectoral concerns, but national issues that require urgent attention.

The current situation reflects a failure of vision and leadership that Kenya can ill afford as it seeks to position itself as a middle-income economy.

A national roundtable dialogue on maritime affairs would signal a commitment to addressing these deep-seated issues and recognizing the strategic importance of the sector.

The alternative continued neglect risks not only the livelihoods of thousands of Kenyans but also the squandering of a critical national asset.

The coastal region’s simmering tensions need not boil over into crisis. With political will, inclusive dialogue, and strategic investment, Kenya’s maritime sector can transform from a point of national concern to a source of national pride. The time to act is now. 

The author is a Veteran Merchant Mariner