Strengthening Maritime Education Through Strategic Industry Collaboration
Crane loading a consignment to a Truck. (Photo/ Courtesy)
By Andrew Mwangura
Email, thecoastnewspaper@gmail.com
The recent courtesy visit by the chairman of the board of directors of Bandari Maritime Academy (BMA) Eng. Lung’anzi Chai Mangale, and the chief executive officer Dr Eric Katana, to the managing director of the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) Captain William Ruto, marks an important milestone in the ongoing efforts to deepen cooperation between Kenya’s premier maritime training institution and one of the most vital entities in the Blue Economy ecosystem.
The meeting, held at KPA headquarters in Mombasa, went beyond formal pleasantries; it reflected a deliberate commitment to align education, industry, and national development within the maritime sector.
The relationship between BMA and KPA is one of natural synergy. BMA exists to produce the skilled professionals who power Kenya’s maritime and port operations, while KPA represents one of the largest employers and beneficiaries of maritime talent.
The dialogue between the two institutions therefore serves as a bridge between academic training and the realities of the maritime workplace.
In an era when technology, sustainability, and global competition are reshaping the shipping and port industries, such collaboration is not only desirable but essential.
Eng. Lung’anzi’s reaffirmation of BMA’s commitment to fostering strategic linkages with industry stakeholders is timely and visionary. Maritime education cannot thrive in isolation. It must be rooted in the evolving dynamics of trade, logistics, and port operations.
By aligning the Academy’s training programs with the needs of the industry, BMA ensures that its graduates are not only employable but also capable of contributing to Kenya’s competitiveness in global shipping and logistics.
The academy’s willingness to engage directly with KPA and other stakeholders signals a shift towards a more practical, demand-driven training model—one that values technical proficiency, adaptability, and innovation.
On his part, Capt Ruto’s remarks underscored the central role of capacity building in sustaining operational excellence at the ports.
His expression of KPA’s readiness to support initiatives that enhance professional competence resonates deeply with the country’s broader Blue Economy agenda.
Kenya’s ports are gateways to regional trade and engines of national development. Ensuring that port professionals and seafarers possess the right mix of technical skills, safety awareness, and leadership qualities is therefore a national imperative.
Through partnerships like this, institutions such as BMA can continuously refresh their curricula, integrate real-world experience into classroom instruction, and expose trainees to modern port technologies and practices.
What this meeting represents, in essence, is the recognition that maritime education must evolve into a collaborative enterprise.
No single institution can single-handedly prepare a workforce that meets the complex and changing demands of the maritime industry.
The Blue Economy encompasses a vast range of disciplines—from port management and marine engineering to logistics, fisheries, shipboard operations, and maritime law.
Strategic cooperation among government agencies, academia, and private industry is therefore the only viable pathway to building a sustainable and competitive maritime workforce.
The presence of BMA’s Port Equipment Trainer, Loth Komora, during the visit also highlighted the technical dimension of this collaboration. Port operations today are increasingly automated and technology-driven.
Training that incorporates practical exposure to port machinery, simulators, and digital management systems is vital to developing the next generation of competent maritime professionals.
Through partnerships with KPA, BMA can access real port environments for practical instruction, internships, and apprenticeship programs—bridging the gap between theory and practice that often hinders the employability of technical graduates.
Beyond skills development, the cooperation between BMA and KPA also speaks to a shared responsibility in realizing Kenya’s vision of becoming a leading maritime nation.
The Blue Economy has been identified as one of the key frontiers for national growth, capable of generating jobs, driving industrialization, and enhancing regional connectivity.
However, these aspirations will remain theoretical without a steady pipeline of qualified and competent personnel. Institutions like BMA, supported by partners such as KPA, form the backbone of this human capital agenda.
This collaboration also has broader implications for policy and regional cooperation. A strong linkage between training institutions and industry sets a precedent for how other sectors within the Blue Economy—such as marine transport, shipbuilding, fisheries, and offshore energy—can align education and practice.
It reinforces the idea that capacity building is not just about classrooms and certificates, but about creating a workforce capable of transforming policy visions into tangible economic outcomes.
The courtesy call by BMA’s leadership to KPA may appear as a routine engagement, but it carries strategic significance for the future of maritime education in Kenya. It symbolizes a shared determination to modernize training, elevate professional standards, and nurture the talent that will sustain Kenya’s maritime competitiveness.
As the global maritime industry becomes more dynamic and interconnected, Kenya must anchor its growth on collaboration, innovation, and skills excellence.
Eng. Lung’anzi, Dr Katana, and Capt Ruto represent three vital pillars of that vision—governance, education, and operational leadership. Their meeting reaffirms that the success of the Blue Economy depends not on isolated efforts, but on deliberate partnerships that bridge learning with practice.
Through such engagements, BMA and KPA are charting a new course—one that places people, knowledge, and cooperation at the heart of Kenya’s maritime transformation.
The writer is a policy analyst specializing in maritime governance and blue economy development.
