Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) has conducted International Safety Management (ISM) Code Awareness Week with a full-scale emergency response drill at the Port of Mombasa.
The drill brought together marine personnel, emergency responders, and government agencies to test preparedness for maritime incidents.
KPA routinely conducts major emergency drills to test interagency coordination, oil spill containment, fire suppression, and passenger evacuation protocols across the port zones in Mombasa, Lamu, and Kisumu.
The simulation exercise led by manager of marine operations, maintenance, and hydrography, Capt. Moses Muthama, simulated emergency scenarios requiring coordinated firefighting and emergency evacuation operations, providing an opportunity to assess response procedures and communication systems within the port facility.
The drill by various marine teams and agencies also tested emergency preparedness, casualty evacuation, communication, containment, and inter-agency coordination.
The mock drill focused on promoting the International Safety Management Code, the global safety framework developed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to ensure the safe operation of ships, prevent loss of life, and protect the marine environment through effective safety management systems.
Capt. Muthama said the participants took part in sensitization sessions and practical demonstrations aimed at strengthening safety culture, improving operational preparedness, and reinforcing compliance with international maritime safety standards.
He said the emergency drill to bolster disaster response preparedness was in conformity with recommended international best practices on safety.
The large-scale mock drill tested the readiness of KPA’s emergency response teams to respond swiftly and effectively to potential maritime emergencies while evaluating coordination, communication, and response times among departments and partner agencies.
The exercise also underscored compliance with the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code, which provides the international framework for safeguarding ships and port facilities against security threats through coordinated preventive and response measures.
Complementing these efforts is KPA’s Fire and Rescue Service, which provides round-the-clock emergency response within the port and supports firefighting operations across the coastal region when called upon.
KPA’s Fire and Rescue Service specializes in safety and emergency response aligned with international safety best practices and standards.
Capt. Muthama said regular intensive drills are essential in ensuring emergency teams remain prepared to respond effectively to incidents while sustaining safe, secure, and efficient port operations.
“An audit was also conducted to assess our system’s readiness to respond to any emergencies in the port,” he said.
He said KPA was fully committed to ensuring occupational safety and the security of port facilities by holding emergency drills, noting that such activities aim to test the emergency response and ensure all port employees and visitors understand the correct evacuation procedures.
“Through this simulation exercise we want to ensure that all safety devices are functioning properly and that our personnel have the capacity to act calmly but quickly when a real emergency situation occurs,” he said.
Muthama said KPA conducts regular emergency preparedness exercises as part of its commitment to continuous improvement in maritime safety, ensuring its personnel maintain the competence and operational readiness required under international maritime conventions.
The latest drill exercise comes after KPA held a successful oil spill response drill at the Port of Mombasa following a multi-stakeholder training on Marine Oil Spill Emergency Response.
The training enhanced the skill set of marine operators and their preparedness to respond to emergencies related to oil spills within the ports and Kenyan waters.
By Hussein Abdullahi
