Tag: Kenya

Last week, 76 port and maritime supply chain representatives from 12 countries got together in a Port Stakeholders’ Workshop to agree on measures regarding wildlife trafficking through Mombasa Port, the largest port in Africa and key exit point of African wildlife trafficking, highlighting the urgent need for action against illegal wildlife trade.

The Japanese Government donated 17 patrol boats to Kenya's Maritime Police, boosting the country's efforts in the promotion of maritime security and the fight against terrorism. The Japanese Ambassador to Kenya further noted that Japan could not afford to ignore Kenya's problem, due to the warm cordial relations between the two nations of more than 50 years. 

In light of port of Mombasa's efforts to reduce sulphur shipping emissions, the Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA) reported that it had inspected 550 ships, adding that the exercise is ongoing. Ships calling at the port are subjected to random inspections by KMA’s State control officers.

Somalia is to give offshore blocks to oil companies that are interested, as part of its first offshore licensing round. However, due to maritime territorial dispute between Somalia and Kenya its offshore oil production goals could be risked. Thus, Reuters reported that Kenya ordered its ambassador back home from Somalia, after the Mogadishu government’s decision to auction oil and gas exploration blocks in the Indian Ocean.

The 'FlipFlopi' boat, is a 9-metre-long dhow, voyaging south along East Africa’s coast to raise awareness of the challenges plastics pose to the ocean, chief boat-builder and captain Ali Skanda stated. The marine ecosystem and the ocean has been crucially affected by the plastic debris and the boat aims to alert and wake up the locals on how they handle and dispose the waste.

The Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA) has embarked on training shippers and other maritime members on how to handle oils spills and other cases of pollution in the sea. The training also aimed at teaching on effective action to limit the damage that may result from oil pollution in the Lamu Indian Ocean and other places along the Coast region.

On 16 of November, EU NAVFOR Italian Warship Federico Martinengo visited the Port of Mombasa, in Kenya. There the ship's crew carried out the second combined exercise together with Kenyan Navy counterparts. During the exercise, EU NAVFOR’s crew showed techniques to the Kenyan Navy in firefighting, first aid and anti-flooding procedures.

The Kenyan government is looking to create a wage standard as well as regulations to protect Kenyan seafarers from exploitation by the international companies. Namely, Kenya will establish regulations for minimum wages to improve employment conditions.

Last week, Kenya launched the world’s first 100% recycled marine plastic boat into the Indian Ocean. Under the 'FlipFlopi' project, the team used thousands of repurposed flip-flops and ocean plastic collected on beach clean-ups along the Kenyan coast for the construction of the prototype.

The creation of Kenya's National Maritime Transport Policy has greatly advanced, Maritime Principal Secretary Nancy Karigithu informed. To create this policy, the country's Ministry of Transport organised a four-day workshop to get technical assistance from the IMO in establishing this policy.