From Ratification to Realisation
Kenya ratified the MLC, 2006 in July 2014, becoming the 64th ILO member State and the tenth African nation to do so. Yet ratification alone was never the destination—it was the starting line. The Convention, universally acknowledged as the global “bill of rights” for maritime workers, establishes comprehensive standards covering conditions of employment, hours of work and rest, accommodation, medical care, repatriation rights, and the right to complain both on board and ashore.
The gap between ratification and effective implementation has persisted for too long. The ILO Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations has noted that Kenya’s government report has not been received, and has repeatedly urged the adoption of implementing legislation. While the Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labor) Regulations, 2024 represent progress, the full domestication of the Convention’s provisions remains incomplete.
The Action Plan: A Roadmap for Reform
The adoption and presentation of the national Action Plan at the workshop’s conclusion is therefore a watershed moment. This is not another bureaucratic exercise. The Action Plan sets out concrete measures, timelines, and responsibilities to support proper implementation of the MLC, 2006. It addresses the priority areas that have long been identified as gaps: aligning domestic laws and regulations with international standards, strengthening institutional capacity, and enhancing coordination among competent authorities.
Crucially, the Action Plan focuses on the core protections that seafarers need most: fair contracts, timely payment of wages, safe work environments, and effective remedies when rights are violated. These are not abstract concepts. They are the difference between a seafarer returning home to support their family with dignity and one stranded in a foreign port without recourse.
The Strategic Imperative
Beyond the moral imperative, there is a compelling economic case for full implementation. The global shipping industry faces a projected shortage of approximately 114,000 seagoing officers by 2030. Kenya, with its strategic location, growing seafaring workforce, and aspirations under the Fourth Medium Term Plan (2023-2027) of Vision 2030, is well-positioned to capture a significant share of this market. But to compete with established seafaring labor suppliers such as the Philippines and India, Kenya must present a workforce that is not only highly trained but comprehensively shielded by national law aligned with international conventions.
As Julius Koech, Director of Maritime Safety at the Kenya Maritime Authority, rightly observed: “As a nation with a long coastline, a strategic port at Mombasa, a growing seafaring workforce, and aspirations to expand our footprint in global shipping, we cannot afford half measures when it comes to protecting our seafarers”.
Failure to enforce the MLC, 2006 carries significant consequences. Vessels flagged to nations that fail to comply face severe detention risks when docking in major international ports in Europe, the United States, or Australia. By ensuring that Kenyan seafarers operate under the gold standard of labor protections, Kenya enhances the credibility of its entire maritime registry and positions the Port of Mombasa not just as a cargo transit point, but as the premier administrative headquarters for ethical maritime operations on the continent’s eastern seaboard.
A Call to Collective Action
The Authority’s reaffirmation of its commitment to working closely with all stakeholders—government ministries, maritime administrators, shipowners, unions, and seafarers themselves—is welcome. Implementation, however, will require sustained political will, adequate resourcing, and genuine collaboration. The Seafarers Wages Council must be fully operationalized. Recruitment agencies must be rigorously regulated. Vessel inspections at the Port of Mombasa must be intensified and conducted with integrity. The issuance of Seafarers’ Identity Documents must be expedited to enable Kenyan seafarers to access international opportunities.
The workshop has laid the foundation. The Action Plan provides the blueprint. Now comes the hard work of implementation. The Kenyan seafarer—who navigates the world’s oceans, contributes to the nation’s economy through remittances, and carries the Kenyan flag across global waters—deserves nothing less than the full protection of the law.
This is Kenya’s moment to demonstrate that its commitment to safe, fair, and decent work is not merely rhetorical but real. The eyes of the region—and indeed the international maritime community—are upon us. Let us not fail our seafarers.
The writer is a Mombasa based Public Intellectual and observer of maritime affairs in the Eastern African region.