Navigating Troubled Waters: The Crisis in Kenyan Seafarer Training
Capt. Suleiman Bakari The President of the Association of Maritime Practitioners of Kenya (AMP-K). (Photo/ Courtyesy)
By Andrew Mwangura
Email, thecoastnewspaper@gmail.com
Recent findings from a comprehensive baseline study conducted by the Association of Maritime Practitioners of Kenya (AMP-K) reveal a concerning state of Maritime Education and Training (MET) in Kenya.
The study highlights significant challenges that threaten the quality, compliance, and effectiveness of seafarer training programs across the country.
A Fragmented Approach to Maritime Education
Kenya currently operates multiple MET institutions, including Bandari Maritime Academy, Kenya Coast National Polytechnic, Technical University of Mombasa, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, and Kisumu Railways Training Institute.
Additionally, private entities such as Kisumu Maritime Training Center, Mount Kenya University, Pioneer International University, Harbor view Maritime Training Institute and Indian Ocean Maritime Training Center in Watamu offer basic safety training courses.
This uncoordinated proliferation of training centers has created several critical issues.
Most notably, it has resulted in the dilution of already limited resources, making it difficult for any single institution to meet the capital-intensive infrastructural needs required for high-quality maritime education.
The independent acquisition of simulators by multiple institutions has led to costly redundancies and underutilization of these expensive training assets.
Critical Gaps
The study identified alarming deficiencies in adherence to both international and national regulatory frameworks:
widespread non-compliance with STCW (Standards of Training, Certification and watchkeeping for Seafarers) regulations; failure to adhere to the Kenya Merchant Shipping Act requirements; absence of a dedicated MET directorate at the Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA); lack of mandatory audits for MET institutions by the KMA; and an inactive National Syllabus Committee and no functioning National Merchant Navy Training Board Perhaps most concerning is the systematic failure to engage qualified mariners in training roles.
With the exception of Technical University of Mombasa, MET institutions typically employ non-mariners in full-time positions while utilizing actual mariners only sporadically on a part-time basis. This has created a disconnect between training objectives and industry practice.
The “Marinated Engineer” Problem
A particularly troubling finding relates to the misconception that mechanical engineers can substitute for marine engineers in training roles.
The study found that marine engineering programs are largely taught and assessed by mechanical engineers and other non-mariners who lack the qualifications required under the STCW Convention and the Merchant Shipping Act of 2009.
Some institutions attempt to address this gap by sending mechanical engineers for postgraduate maritime studies at institutions like the World Maritime University, after which these “marinated” engineers are tasked with training actual marine engineering officers—a practice that falls short of international standards.
Resource Consolidation
The study emphasizes that MET is inherently resource-intensive.
Successful maritime nations typically concentrate their training efforts in a few selected institutions to ensure adequate resources for meeting STCW requirements and industry standards.
Examples of this model include the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport (Egypt), Maritime Academy of Malaysia, Singapore Maritime Academy, and South Africa’s Durban University of Technology and Cape Peninsula University of Technology.
These institutions achieved their world-class status through years of focused resource mobilization and strategic development.
Recommended Policy Actions.
To address these challenges, Kenya must implement several key initiatives:
1. Fast-track the enactment of the Bandari Maritime Academy Bill 2023 to provide a solid legal foundation for maritime education reform;
2. Restructure and transform the National Syllabus Committee into the Kenya Merchant Navy Training Board to ensure proper oversight and curriculum development;
3. Push for acquisition of a state-of-the-art training ship to provide cadets with essential hands-on experience;
4. Bareboat charter medium-sized OBO carriers to be fully crewed by Kenyan seafarers and cadets, operated by Kenya National Shipping Line;
5. Develop and include MET/Seafarers training and qualifications in the Kenya National Qualification Framework to ensure national recognition of maritime credentials;
6. Engage external Kenyan senior merchant mariners including Captains and Chief Engineers as examiners in the statutory oral examinations required for issuance of Kenya’s certificate of competency for marine officers;
7. Commission educational oversight bodies such as the Commission of University Education and Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority to work with Seafarers Associations to ensure training programs meet both national requirements and STCW Convention standards;
8. Ensure appointments of responsible persons and qualified instructors in management and administration of MET institutions in Kenya as per STCW Regulation 81(6), 84(2), 87(7) and STCW Regulations 1/6;
9. Ensure students admitted for cadet training programs are medically fit as per STCW Regulation 1/9, establishing proper screening protocols before admission; and
10. Implement Quality Standards Systems (QSS) in accordance with STCW Regulations 1/8, rather than relying on general Quality Management Systems (QMS) that do not address the specific requirements of maritime training.
Kenya possesses a significant pool of competent maritime experts who remain largely untapped.
The issue is not a shortage of qualified personnel but rather a failure to effectively engage them in both governmental and educational institutions.
By consolidating resources, strengthening regulatory frameworks, and implementing the recommended policy actions, Kenya can address the current crisis in seafarer training and position itself as a competitive player in the global maritime industry.
The findings of this baseline study serve as a wake-up call for policymakers, educational institutions, and industry stakeholders.
With concerted effort and strategic reforms, Kenya can navigate these troubled waters toward a brighter future for its maritime education sector.
The author is a Maritime Affairs Analyst and Maritime Policy Advocate.
