Key officials from Kenyan Government Ministries and Agencies responsible for maritime security gathered to review and finalize the country’s draft National Maritime Security Risk Register.
Efforts to safeguard the region against strategic threats in line with the objectives of the Jeddah Amendment to the Djibouti Code of Conduct 2017, remains a high priority.
If left unchecked, the problems would undermine the value of a well-developed maritime sector and blue economy. The specific threats include:
- Maritime terrorism
- Illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing
- Trafficking of drugs
- Weapons and people
- Illegal wildlife trade
- Threat to ships posed by new and emerging threats particularly cyber security
- Aerial drones
- Boat borne IEDs
- Attack on ships using limpet mines.
Speaking at the gathering Nancy Karigithu, Principal Secretary, State Department for Shipping and Maritime Affairs of Kenya, highlighted the importance of the National Maritime Security Risk Register in managing Kenya’s national level risks to maritime security interests, which will enable the Maritime Security Committee to prioritize and co-ordinate programmes of work to mitigate risks:
By developing a National Maritime Security Risk Register coupled with a National Maritime Security Strategy, Kenya will have fulfilled her individual strategic responsibility and well on her way to realize the maritime sector’s collective vision on national maritime safety and security, thus fully securing her maritime interests
Following the establishment of a National Maritime Committee, and the NMSRR, Kenya is now set to start developing its National Maritime Security Strategy.
