- At least 25 countries were competing for the 20 available spots in Category (C), which Thailand, South Africa, Belgium and Poland failed to sail through.
- Only four African countries are sitting in the IMO Council.
Image: HANDOUT
Kenya has been re-elected to the powerful membership seat of the International Maritime Organisation Council after intense lobbying and campaigning in the UK last week.
Since 2001, Kenya has been a member of the IMO Council, which is the executive organ responsible for supervising the work of the IMO in all its 175 member states.
The IMO’s 40-member council is divided into three categories.
Category (A) consists of 10 states with the largest interest in providing international shipping services and Category (B) also has 10 states with the largest interest in international seaborne trade.
Category (C) consists of 20 states not elected under (A) or (B), which have special interests in maritime transport or navigation and whose election to the council will ensure the representation of all major geographic areas of the world.
Kenya has been a member of Category (C) for the past 22 years.
In the elections during the 33rd Regular Session of the IMO General Assembly on Friday at the IMO headquarters in London, Kenya garnered 128 votes out of 168 votes.
At least 25 countries were competing for the 20 available spots in Category (C), which Thailand, South Africa, Belgium and Poland failed to sail through.
Kenya will now serve in the IMO Council of the 2024-2025 biennium in Category (C) with Bahamas, Bangladesh, Chile, Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, Indonesia, Jamaica, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Morocco, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore and Turkey.
In Category (A), China, Greece, Italy, Japan, Liberia, Norway, Panama, the Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States were elected.
In Category (B), Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the United Arab Emirates were elected.
Only four African countries are sitting in the IMO Council.
Liberia is the only African country in Category (A), whereas Egypt, Kenya and Morocco are in Category (C).
The newly elected council will meet, following the conclusion of the 33rd Assembly, for its 131st session on December 7 to elect its chair and vice-chair for the next biennium.
Blue Economy Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya, who led the high-powered delegation to the UK to campaign for Kenya, said the re-election affirms the maritime world has great confidence in the efforts Kenya is making to build the maritime profile.
“Kenya wishes to reiterate its commitment to supporting IMO operations, policies and regulations for positive transformation of the sector,” Mvurya said.
He said this profile is important as the country embarks on engaging shipping companies to onboard Kenyan sea fearers.
“Kenya has all that is required for global maritime take off as exhibited in this re-election. I thus invite investors to come to Kenya and tap into the yet-to-be-explored areas in the maritime and shipping sector,” he said.
He was accompanied to London by Maritime Principal Secretary Geoffrey Kaituko, Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA) acting director general John Omingo and Kenya's High Commission to the United Kingdom Ambassador Manoah Esipisu.
The 33rd Assembly of the IMO meeting in London is taking place between November 27 and December 6.
All 175 member states and three associate members are entitled to attend the assembly, which is IMO's highest governing body.
The assembly normally meets once every two years in regular session.
It is responsible for approving the work programme, voting the budget and determining the financial arrangements of the organisation.
It also elects the IMO's 40-member council.