On October 7, 2026, Kenyan seafarers will gather at Ronald Ngala Social Hall for the Annual Conference of the Seafarers Union of Kenya. This should be more than a calendar item. It should be the moment the movement confronts where it has been, where it stands, and where it must go—with honesty and courage.
Mutabaruka’s “Dis Poem” offers an unlikely but powerful lens for this moment. The Jamaican dub poet’s work is not mere verse. It is historical memory, political indictment, and a demand that one generation’s struggles become the next generation’s consciousness. Its language is deliberately uncomfortable because it refuses to make oppression sound respectable.
Kenyan seafarers should listen.
A Story Still Being Written
The Kenyan seafarer’s story is one of ambition and sacrifice, disappointment and resilience. It is young people entering maritime colleges believing a certificate opens the door to a career, only to find that sea time and employment are harder to secure than the qualification itself. It is experienced seafarers spending months away from families, serving an international industry while carrying expectations at home. It is workers asking for nothing extraordinary—decent work, fair treatment, safety, dignity, and a future.
That story deserves to be heard.
“Dis Poem” is rooted in historical memory—slavery, colonialism, racism, the sacrifices of those who fought for freedom. It connects generations to make one point: history does not disappear because people stop talking about it.
The same applies to Kenya’s maritime labour movement. Unemployment remains unemployment. Lack of sea time remains lack of sea time. Exploitation remains exploitation. Weak representation remains weak representation. A serious labour movement must have the courage to name these problems. That is not hostility. It is responsibility.
The Questions That Must Be Asked
The October 7 conference must be a space where seafarers can ask difficult questions without being accused of disloyalty. What has happened to previous resolutions? What has been achieved, what has failed, and why? Is the union strong enough to negotiate effectively with employers? Are recruitment practices adequately monitored? Are wage concerns being addressed? Do young seafarers have a realistic pathway from training to employment?
These questions should not frighten a democratic trade union. They should strengthen it.
Kenya speaks proudly of the blue economy. Ports are expanding. Maritime training institutions keep producing graduates. Policymakers speak of shipping, logistics, fisheries, and the economic potential of the Indian Ocean.
But where is the Kenyan seafarer in the blue economy?
A blue economy that creates infrastructure but leaves workers vulnerable is incomplete. A maritime strategy that talks about ships but ignores the people operating them is incomplete. The seafarer is not an accessory to the maritime economy. The seafarer is the maritime economy.
The Seafarer Must Come First
A union exists because workers are stronger together. But solidarity cannot exist only in speeches. It must be visible in how workers organise, debate, negotiate, and resolve disagreements.
Kenyan seafarers do not have to agree on everything. Different opinions, different leadership preferences, different visions—these are normal. The problem begins when disagreement becomes permanent division and organisational survival matters more than the worker’s survival.
Before asking which leader wins, ask what the worker gains. Before asking which faction is stronger, ask whether the seafarer is stronger. Before defending an organisation, ask whether the organisation is actually defending its members.
That is the spirit of “Dis Poem”: do not let historical struggles become empty words. Turn memory into consciousness. Turn consciousness into action.
A Programme, Not Just Resolutions
October 7 must produce more than speeches. It must produce a measurable programme with clear priorities, responsibilities, timelines, and reporting mechanisms. Specifically, the conference should commit to:
1. A Sea Time and Employment Audit. Within 90 days, the union should publish a comprehensive report on how many Kenyan cadets are awaiting sea time, how many have secured placements in the past three years, and through which recruitment channels. This data must be public.
2. A Recruitment Monitoring Framework. The union should establish a standing committee to monitor recruitment practices, investigate reports of exploitative agents, and publish an annual report naming violations. Seafarers must know where to report abuse and trust that action will follow.
3. A Wage and Contract Transparency Initiative. The union should publish benchmark wage data by vessel type and trade route, negotiate minimum contract standards, and ensure members understand their rights under the Maritime Labour Convention before they sign.
4. A Skills Transition Plan. Given rapid changes in digitalisation, automation, and decarbonisation, the union should partner with the Kenya Maritime Authority and training institutions to map future skill requirements and create accessible upskilling pathways for current seafarers.
5. A Welfare and Family Support Structure. The union should establish or strengthen welfare programmes that address the specific challenges of seafaring families—mental health support, emergency assistance, and communication resources for those at sea.
6. A Membership Accountability Mechanism. The union should commit to publishing annual reports on membership numbers, finances, collective bargaining outcomes, and progress against conference resolutions—accessible to all members.
A resolution without an implementation mechanism is only a promise. Kenyan seafarers have heard enough promises.
Unfinished Work
“Dis Poem” reminds us that the struggles of yesterday become the responsibility of tomorrow. Those who came before us do not finish our work. They leave us with unfinished work.
The young cadet waiting for sea time is part of that unfinished work. The experienced seafarer struggling to secure another contract is part of that unfinished work. The family waiting at home is part of that unfinished work. The woman establishing herself in a male-dominated industry is part of that unfinished work. The unemployed graduate wondering whether the blue economy includes him or her is part of that unfinished work.
Their experiences must not remain isolated stories. They must become the collective agenda of the labour movement.
Leadership disputes and governance disagreements must be handled through democratic and lawful mechanisms. They cannot be allowed to permanently consume the movement’s energy. A union must be capable of correcting itself without destroying itself.
Criticism is not betrayal. Accountability is not hostility. Democracy is not disunity. A union that cannot survive questions is already in trouble.
The Real Test
The greatest danger facing Kenyan seafarers is not disagreement. It is indifference.
Indifference allows problems to become permanent. It allows promises to remain promises. It allows young people to enter the maritime industry without a clear future. It allows the labour movement to become disconnected from the workers it represents.
October 7 must be a day when indifference is rejected.
Let the conference be frank without being destructive. Let it be critical without becoming personal. Let leaders defend their records with evidence. Let members challenge them with facts. Let grievances be heard. Let achievements be recognised. Let mistakes be acknowledged. Let solutions replace accusations.
Above all, let the seafarer remain at the centre.
This Is Our Poem
Mutabaruka’s “Dis Poem” refuses to let the listener remain comfortable. It demands attention. It demands memory. It demands that we understand history is not happening somewhere else to someone else.
This is your industry. This is your union. This is your labour movement. This is your future.
The government has a role. Employers have a role. Regulators have a role. But seafarers themselves must decide whether their collective voice remains fragmented or becomes a force capable of shaping Kenya’s maritime future.
On October 7, the microphone will be available. Speeches will be made. Resolutions will be proposed. But the real test begins after everyone leaves Ronald Ngala Social Hall.
Will the resolutions be implemented? Will members follow up? Will leaders report back? Will the union measure its progress? Will the seafarer feel a difference?
That is where the real conference begins.
The sea has always demanded courage from those who work upon it. Kenya’s maritime labour movement now requires the same courage on shore.
History is speaking. The present is demanding answers. The future is waiting.
This is not somebody else’s poem. This is our poem.
And the next verse must be written in action.