KENYA MARITIME AUTHORITY

KMA’S KEY ROLE IN MARITIME SAFETY AND TRAINING

The Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA) is responsible for the regulatory oversight of the local maritime sector. It was established in 2004 as a semi-autonomous agency.

The KMA works closely with the Kenya Ports Authority and its offices are located close to the KPA’s own headquarters.

Maritime safety and security are among the key functions of the KMA along with maritime training. Its main objectives are:

• Enhancement of regulatory and institutional capacities for safety and security

• Effective implementation of international maritime conventions and other mandatory instruments on safety and security

• Promotion of maritime training • Coordination of search and rescue • Prevention of marine pollution • Preservation of the marine environment • Facilitation of trade and maritime investments.

The Merchant Shipping Act of 2009 enhanced the delivery of services by the KMA in all of these areas. Foreign vessels calling at the Port of Mombasa are inspected by KMA ship surveyors in accordance with the Indian Ocean Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control, of which Kenya is a member. This ensures that visiting ships comply with safety of life and safe manning regulations, protection of the marine environment regulations and load line regulations. The KMA is also responsible for running the Regional Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre, also known as the Mombasa Information Sharing Centre (ICS). Seafarers are able to use this facility to call for help in the event of distress at sea. The ICS covers a large area comprising Tanzania, Seychelles and Somalia and also responds to piracy alerts and requests for information or assistance.

MARITIME TRAINING

The KMA has led the way in promoting local maritime training and education. Kenya has International Maritime Organization White List status, which means its maritime education system is up to international standards. This much-prized status opens the way for Kenyan seafarers to compete for jobs on foreign-flagged vessels. As the pacesetter of Kenya’s maritime industry and in line with the IMO’s ongoing effort to encourage young people to seek a career at sea, the KMA has been actively supporting cadet recruitment among young women as well as young men. As the pacesetter of Kenya’s maritime industry and in line with the IMO’s ongoing effort to encourage young people to seek a career at sea, the KMA has been actively supporting cadet recruitment among young women as well as young men. The organisation also gives its full backing to IMO programmes aimed at the integration of women in the maritime sector as part of an overall campaign to promote gender equality and empowerment of women in the maritime sector. In this context, the KMA hosts the Association of Women in the Maritime Sector in East & Southern Africa (WOMESA), whose aim is to promote the role of women in the maritime sector. By regulating and overseeing the orderly development of merchant shipping and related services, the KMA aims to make a positive impact on trade facilitation and on the promotion of maritime investments in Kenya.