Kenya is ramping up efforts to position the maritime sector as a major pillar of economic transformation, with the government unveiling ambitious plans aimed at creating thousands of jobs, boosting trade, and unlocking billions of shillings currently lost to foreign shipping firms.
Speaking during the presentation of the Financial Year 2026/27 budget estimates before the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Transport and Infrastructure, the Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs Cabinet Secretary Hon. Ali Hassan Joho said that the maritime sector remains one of the country’s most underutilised economic frontiers despite its enormous potential.
Further, the Cabinet Secretary noted that Kenya’s strategic location along the Indian Ocean gives it a competitive advantage in maritime trade, logistics, shipbuilding, fisheries, offshore energy, and marine transport. The country boasts a coastline stretching approximately 640 kilometres and an Exclusive Economic Zone covering about 230,000 square kilometres.
CS Joho added that more than 95 per cent of Kenya’s international trade is conducted by sea, underscoring the critical role of maritime transport in supporting the national economy.
In the presentation, the ministry highlighted maritime education and labour as one of the most promising opportunities for Kenya’s youth, especially amid growing global demand for seafarers.
“Globally, it is estimated that there will be a deficit of 89,510 officers and 450,000 ratings by the end of 2026, while an additional 875,000 seafarers will be required by 2050,” said CS Hon. Ali Hassan Joho.
Kenya currently has about 19,000 trained seafarers but is targeting to produce 10,000 more in the medium term and up to 40,000 in the long term to tap into global maritime labour opportunities.
The CS further revealed that Kenya loses an estimated KSh600 billion annually to foreign shipping lines involved in transporting the country’s imports and exports, a situation it says can be reversed through increased local participation in maritime transport and shipping services.
The State Department is now pushing for major investments in shipbuilding, repair and maintenance industries, leveraging Kenya’s location along key Indian Ocean trade routes and its connectivity to the Great Lakes region and the wider East African market.
Kenya is also exploring the establishment of a ship-breaking industry at the Ports of Mombasa and Lamu, with officials saying the initiative could create jobs, generate steel through recycling, and significantly increase government revenue.
The Port of Lamu was identified as strategically suitable because of its deep and sheltered harbour capable of handling some of the world’s largest vessels, including post-Suezmax ships.
At the same time, the ministry is seeking parliamentary support to fast-track key maritime laws, including amendments to the Merchant Shipping Act and the Kenya Maritime Authority Act, to align Kenya with emerging global maritime trends such as digitalisation, environmental regulation, and autonomous shipping technologies.
The Principal Secretary, State Department for Shipping and Maritime Affairs Mr. Aden Millah, also raised concerns over inadequate funding, saying budgetary constraints have slowed implementation of maritime projects, international partnerships, and youth employment initiatives in the sector.
Among the interventions proposed to Parliament are enhanced budgetary allocation, support for maritime infrastructure development, funding for awareness campaigns, and strengthening Kenya’s participation in international maritime negotiations and agreements.
The ministry maintained that if fully supported, the maritime sector could become a powerful engine for economic growth, job creation, export earnings, and regional trade integration under the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) and Vision 2030.
By Justus Anzaya (PCO)
