Kenya is set to host the Africa Maritime Cabotage and Blue Economy conference in November, with the aim of promoting the formation of East African cabotage within the maritime sector.

Cabotage in maritime refers to the regulation that confines sea transport services to a particular country’s own operators and providers.

Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya (pictured), from the Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy, and Maritime Affairs, explained that the conference will unite regional leaders in shipping and maritime.

This as the government is actively working on a cabotage policy and accompanying regulations to open up the shipping business to local investors and international shipping lines.

Speaking during a meeting with government agencies under the state department of maritime and shipping, Cabinet Secretary Mvurya also discussed the Bandari Maritime Academy’s master plan, worth Sh19.8 billion.

The plan will be implemented in phases, with the first phase costing Sh2.4 billion, focusing on establishing a survival centre at a cost of Sh1.4 billion. The government has already approved Sh500 million for the project in the current fiscal year. The presidential directive for training coxswains is expected to be completed by December, with 300 coxswains in Lamu already trained.

“Before we conclude a cabotage policy, there are quite a number of issues being raised locally by stakeholders in terms of local participation… The conference that is coming up in November will bring everybody onboard and provide an opportunity for Kenya to offer leadership in shipping and maritime,” the CS said.

Mvurya emphasized the need to make training at the Bandari Maritime Academy more affordable for the region’s youth. He also noted that the Kenya Shipping Line has been approved as the clearing agency for all government cargo.

Plans are in place to establish a comprehensive regional rescue center at the new Kenya Maritime Authority facility to coordinate search and rescue operations. Additionally, another center will be established to oversee the lakes, and similar plans are in progress to set up a center in Kisumu.
Mombasa governor Abdulswamad Nassir confirmed that the Mombasa county government will co-sponsor the Africa Maritime Cabotage and Blue Economy conference, expressing enthusiasm for the event.

Maritime cabotage, which initially applied to coastal shipping, has evolved to include inland waterways, aviation, railway, and road transport. It encompasses a range of operations and services serving domestic, intra-regional, and international markets.