Yesterday (July 12, 2026), as the global maritime community observed Sea Sunday under the theme “Harbors of Hope: The Church Alongside Seafarers”, the Kenya Coast Guard Service joined the Mission to Seafarers in Mombasa to commemorate 105 years of service to the men and women who keep global trade afloat. The Director General, represented by Maritime Operations Officer Lt Cdr J.L. Kamaliki, stood alongside the Kenya Navy, Kenya Ports Authority, Kenya Maritime Authority, WOMESA, Stella Maris, the Anglican Church of Kenya, development partners and the seafaring community itself at the Mission to Seafarers Centre.
“The Kenya Coast Guard Service is proud to stand with the Mission to Seafarers as we mark 105 years of compassionate service in this port,” said Lt Cdr Kamaliki. “Seafarers are the lifeblood of global trade, and their welfare is not a luxury—it is a necessity. As Kenya pursues its Blue Economy ambitions, we remain unwavering in our commitment to a safe, secure, and sustainable maritime domain where every seafarer can work with dignity and return home safely.”
Kenya Ship Agents Association CEO Elijah Mbaru echoed this sentiment: “For 105 years, the Mission to Seafarers has been a home away from home for thousands of seafarers who pass through Kilindini Port. As ship agents, we see firsthand the sacrifices these men and women make—months away from family, facing dangerous seas and uncertain conditions. Today, we reaffirm our commitment to their welfare. But we must do more. We must ensure that our seafarers are not just honored in ceremony but supported in practice—through better training, fair treatment, and real opportunities at sea.”
Yesterday’s gathering was more than a ceremonial photo opportunity. It was a moment of reckoning.
The Unseen Backbone of Global Trade
For 105 years, the Mission to Seafarers has stood as a beacon in Kilindini Port—through two world wars, political upheaval, the scourge of Somali piracy, and a global pandemic that stranded thousands of seafarers at sea. Its Flying Angel centres have offered not just chapel services and recreational facilities, but a lifeline of dignity to those who spend months away from home, often in harsh and dangerous conditions.
Yet for all the warm words exchanged at yesterday’s event, we must confront an uncomfortable truth: Kenya’s maritime sector talks a great deal about seafarers but does far too little for them.
The Blue Economy Paradox
Kenya’s National Blue Economy Strategy 2025–2030 envisions transforming marine resources into drivers of economic growth, environmental sustainability, and social inclusion. The government has launched ambitious initiatives—from the $300 million Blue-Green Bond Program to the Jumuiya ya Kaunti za Pwani Blue Economy Action Plan. President Ruto is exploring new shipping routes linking Mombasa and Lamu to Norwegian ports. The Kenya Coast Guard Service has been repositioned as a key enabler of this vision.
All of this is commendable. But a Blue Economy without blue-collar seafarers is a ship without a crew.
The Skills Crisis No One Wants to Address
Kenya’s maritime ambitions are constrained by a critical shortage of skilled seafarers. Our training institutions—including the Mount Kenya University Maritime Academy, Technical University of Mombasa,JKUAT, and the Bandari Maritime Academy—produce cadets, but too many remain jobless. WOMESA data reveals that at least 76 female cadets in Kenya are yet to find employment, while women constitute less than 10 per cent of the maritime workforce.
This is not merely a statistical inconvenience. It is a national failure.
I have spent over 38 years at sea. I have negotiated for the release of seafarers held captive by Somali pirates. I have witnessed the desperation of young Kenyans conned by unscrupulous recruitment agents promising sea jobs that never materialise. And I have watched successive governments pay lip service to seafarer welfare while neglecting the systemic issues—bureaucratic overreach, inadequate training capacity, and a licensing regime that fails to protect our own.
What Yesterday’s Commemoration Demands of Us
The commemoration of 105 years of the Mission to Seafarers is not an endpoint—it is a call to action. As the Kenya Coast Guard Service reaffirmed its commitment to “a safe, secure and sustainable maritime domain” at the heart of Kenya’s Blue Economy aspirations, I offer three imperatives:
First, we must treat seafarer welfare as a matter of national security, not charity. The Maritime Labor Convention, to which Kenya is a signatory, sets minimum standards for working and living conditions. Enforcement cannot remain optional.
Second, we must invest ruthlessly in training and employment. Retired Kenya Navy ships should be converted into training vessels. Public-private partnerships must be forged to create clear pathways from cadetship to command. WOMESA’s work to integrate women into the sector must receive the institutional backing it deserves.
Third, we must end the exploitation of our seafarers. Unlicensed manning agents preying on desperate job-seekers must face the full force of the law. The issuance of Seafarers’ Identity Documents must be streamlined, not weaponised as a bureaucratic gatekeeping exercise.
The Horizon Is Waiting
Yesterday, as we gathered at the Mission to Seafarers Centre in Mombasa, we were reminded that the seafarers we honor are not relics of a bygone era. They are the young men and women of today—Gen Z from the Western Indian Ocean—whose ancestors once commanded these waters. Their energy, ambition, and fearless spirit are exactly what Kenya’s maritime future demands.
The seas are calling. But calling is not enough. We must answer with action—not just on Sea Sunday, but every day thereafter.
The horizon is waiting. Let us ensure our seafarers have the ships, the skills, and the dignity to reach it.
Andrew Mwangura is a former Secretary General of the Seafarers Union of Kenya and a maritime security analyst with over 38 years of experience at sea.