The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has removed the Indian Ocean from the list of High-Risk Areas (HRA) giving a major boost to trade for Kenya and the wider Eastern African region.

The decision was communicated during the 106th session of the Maritime Safety Committee at the International Maritime Organisation in London, the UN agency responsible for the safety and security of shipping, by the BMP-5, which consists of the five largest global shipping industry associations.

Withdrawal of Kenya from HRA will take effect on January 1, 2023. This will allow ship-owners and security providers to adjust operations as chart amendments by hydrographic organisations and other stakeholders are completed.

Kenya’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and Permanent Representative to the International Maritime Organisation Amb Manoah Esipisu (pictured), said Kenya was delighted with the decision as it will save businesses billions of shillings in insurance fees, thereby lowering the prices of goods in the country and the wider Eastern African region.

“The discontinuation will greatly boost commerce and remove the security cloud that has hang over the region for more than a decade,” said Esipisu.

He said the Kenya High Commission in London and a multi-agency in Kenya have led a sustained campaign to ensure the end to the classification of the Indian Ocean as a high-risk area.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the Kenya government in a bid to keep the nation’s waters safe has increased security in the waters by deploying coast guards.