Kenya’s quest to become a regional maritime powerhouse has received a crucial boost following the signing of key Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) by the Bandari Maritime Academy (BMA) with strategic local and international partners. These agreements are expected to catalyze the development of a robust, locally driven maritime training ecosystem—a critical step toward actualizing the country’s Blue Economy aspirations.
Established in 2018 from the former training arm of the Kenya Ports Authority, BMA is at the center of Kenya’s maritime ambitions. While the academy has significantly expanded its course offerings and transitioned to a Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET) framework, its ability to deliver internationally competitive seafarers has been constrained by inadequate infrastructure, limited sea-time opportunities, and a chronic lack of funding.
Now, BMA is turning to strategic collaborations to bridge these gaps. In the past year alone, the academy has entered into MoUs with a range of stakeholders, including the Technical University of Mombasa, Kenya Coast National Polytechnic (KCNP), Kenya Utalii College, the Kenya Coast Guard Service, and the Kisumu Railway Training Institute. Negotiations are also underway for a groundbreaking agreement with the Kenya Navy, which would allow for joint training programs and shared use of critical facilities.
“These partnerships are more than ceremonial,” said Dr. Eric Katana, BMA’s Chief Executive Officer. “They are the cornerstone of a new model that leverages collective strengths across academia, government, and international development to build a competent, resilient maritime workforce.”
In addition to local institutions, BMA has also forged links with global entities such as Denmark’s Strategic Sector Cooperation program, the All India Society for Electronics and Computer Technology (AISECT), Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan), and South Korea’s Korea Institute of Maritime and Fisheries Technology (KIMFT). These collaborations form part of the USD 25 million Kenya Blue Economy Skills Training (KBEST) initiative, funded by Global Affairs Canada, and seek to strengthen curriculum development, teaching capacity, and knowledge exchange.
However, BMA’s expansion through MoUs comes against the backdrop of systemic challenges in Kenya’s maritime training landscape. Despite growing enrollment—over 1,000 students in modular programs and more than 4,000 in short courses annually—many graduates remain ineligible for international deployment due to their inability to obtain the mandatory Certificate of Competency (CoC). The certification requires at least one year of structured sea-time and access to advanced simulation facilities, both of which are in short supply.
“Our core limitation is not the curriculum; it’s infrastructure. Without simulators, a training vessel, or sea-time partnerships, our graduates are stalled at the shore,” Dr. Katana explained.
The academy is also grappling with outdated equipment and lack of capital investment. For example, BMA’s obsolete navigational simulator needs an upgrade estimated at KES 100 million, while a fully equipped training vessel is very costly. Budget cuts and Treasury austerity measures—particularly following the shelving of the Finance Bill 2024—have left the academy without any development allocation in the last fiscal year.
Yet the institution remains undeterred. Through the MoUs, BMA hopes to co-develop training infrastructure, share personnel, and access training berths aboard vessels owned by partners like the Kenya Navy and Kenya Coast Guard Service. The academy also plans to commercialize high-value courses such as Electronic Chart Display Information Systems (ECDIS), Global Maritime Distress and Safety Systems (GMDSS), and Bridge/Engine Room Resource Management, which are currently unavailable locally due to inadequate facilities.
“Allowing BMA to run specialized, fee-paying courses with our partners will not only meet market demand but also generate the revenue we need to sustain operations,” Dr. Katana stated.
The country’s failure to produce CoC-qualified seafarers has wider implications. Kenya currently supplies about 4,000 of the world’s 1.89 million working seafarers. With structured training pathways and expanded partnerships, that figure could rise significantly, positioning Kenya as a global supplier of maritime labor, comparable to the Philippines or India.
This article was published by Githua Kihara, an editorial consultant for FEAFFA’s Freight Logistics Magazine. For any inquiries, please contact us via email at editorial@feaffa.com or freightlogistics@feaffa.com, or reach out to Andrew Onionga directly at onionga@feaffa.com or oningaam@gmail.com / +254733780240.
