Opinion | Navigating the crisis in Kenya’s maritime education

Bandari Maritime Academy is Kenya’s premier training institution for maritime courses. PHOTO/UGC.

By ANDREW MWANGURA

newshub@eyewitness.africa

Kenya, a country blessed with over 500 kilometres of coastline and ambitious plans for a thriving blue economy, has long ignored the urgent need to reform its maritime education system.

The recent unrest within our Maritime Education and Training (MET) institutions is not a mere disciplinary issue, but a glaring indication of the deep-rooted problems within this sector that demand our immediate attention.

Having both sailed the high seas as a merchant mariner and engaged with maritime education, I believe a comprehensive, well-structured plan is essential to resolve this ongoing crisis.

Kenya’s MET institutions are caught in a perfect storm of systemic failures. Outdated curricula that do not align with international standards, particularly the STCW Convention, are just the beginning.

There is a severe lack of practical training opportunities, woefully inadequate infrastructure, limited ties with the maritime industry, and an opaque governance system that leaves students disillusioned and underserved. As a result, we have a generation of aspiring seafarers whose dreams of a maritime career are being dashed by these systemic shortcomings.

When students protest, their concerns are often met with temporary measures rather than meaningful reforms. This cycle of crisis management and superficial fixes has eroded trust between students and institutions.

Consequently, Kenya’s maritime workforce potential remains largely untapped, and our ambitions for a thriving blue economy remain unmet.

What Kenya needs is not another short-term committee to issue yet another report that will gather dust on a shelf. Instead, we must adopt a deliberate, phased approach that addresses both the immediate issues and long-term structural reforms necessary for the sector’s revitalisation.

First, we need a candid assessment of the current state of affairs. This includes evaluating the MET institutions against international standards, listening directly to student grievances, and identifying gaps in faculty capacity, infrastructure, and resources. With this clear understanding, we can develop a path forward.

Next, we need to implement immediate interventions to stabilise the situation. This involves creating transparent communication channels between students and administrators, addressing concerns about living conditions and the quality of education, and ensuring that sea-time opportunities are available to all deserving students, irrespective of their background or connections.

Third, we must undertake structural reforms to align our maritime education system with global best practices. This means overhauling curricula to meet the needs of the industry, investing in simulation technology and practical training facilities, enhancing faculty training, and forging stronger links with shipping companies to improve cadet placement opportunities.

Finally, we need robust mechanisms for continuous improvement and accountability. Regular audits, student feedback systems, and industry advisory boards should become an integral part of the governance framework of our maritime education system.

This proposed roadmap is not something that can be accomplished by the government alone. It will require the collective effort of several key stakeholders: the State Department of Shipping and Maritime Affairs, the Kenya Maritime Authority, MET institutions, shipping companies, international partners, and most crucially, the students themselves.

What I am suggesting is not a revolutionary change, but rather a common-sense approach that has worked successfully in other maritime nations. Countries like the Philippines have turned their maritime education systems into globally recognised powerhouses, creating thousands of jobs and earning substantial foreign exchange in the process.

Some may argue that such wide-reaching reforms will be too expensive or too time-consuming. However, we must ask: what is the cost of doing nothing? Every year that passes without adequate training leaves thousands of young Kenyans’ potential untapped. Every international shipping company that chooses to overlook Kenyan seafarers due to concerns about their education means millions of shillings lost to our economy.

Moreover, the ongoing cycle of student unrest also incurs significant costs in terms of disrupted education, tarnished institutional reputations, and lost opportunities. Addressing the root causes of these issues is not just a moral obligation, but a sound economic decision.

Kenya now stands at a crucial crossroads. We can continue to treat student unrest as an isolated disciplinary issue, or we can recognise it for what it truly is—a manifestation of deeper systemic flaws that need urgent and comprehensive reform.

The establishment of a diverse and representative task force with a clear mandate and timeline would be a powerful first step. This task force must involve not only government officials and institutional leaders but also student representatives, industry partners, and independent education experts.

The road ahead may be challenging, but with a clear, actionable plan and a collective commitment from all stakeholders, Kenya can turn its maritime education sector from one mired in crisis into a cornerstone of its blue economy aspirations. The time to act is now—before yet another generation of aspiring seafarers sees their dreams dashed by inadequate education.

Our maritime students deserve better. Our maritime industry needs better. And, above all, our nation’s blue economy ambitions require better. It is time to heed the call to action and set the course for a brighter future for Kenya’s maritime education system.

The writer is a veteran merchant mariner and maritime opinion leader.