Kenya has made its way to the assembly of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) for the next two years.
The country will now join other four African countries to the 40-Member Council.
Ministry of Foreign affairs in a statement on Saturday said the move followed IMO’s elections for states to be members of its Council for the 2018-2019 biennium.
The statement said the 40 Member council will have five African countries represented including Kenya, Egypt, Liberia, Morocco and South Africa.
According to the statement, the African countries fall under Category (C) of the IMO statute for council members which is reserved for twenty (20) Member States 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.
This means the five African states will join Bahamas, Belgium, Chile, Cyprus, Denmark, Indonesia, Jamaica, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Turkey in the (C) category.
Category (A) consists of China, Greece, Italy, Japan, Norway, Panama, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, United Kingdom and the United States.
The 10 States form the category with the largest interest in providing international shipping services.
Category (B) also has 10 States with the largest interest in international seaborne trade.
They are Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the United Arab Emirates.
The Kenya delegation was led by Principal Secretary for Maritime & Shipping Affairs, Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure and Urban Development Nancy Karigithu and Kenya’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and Permanent Representative to IMO Amb Lazarus Amayo.
The IMO is a specialized agency of the United Nations, with global standard-setting authority for the safety, security and environmental performance of international shipping. Its main role is to create a regulatory framework for the shipping industry that is fair and effective, universally adopted and universally implemented.
The Ministry said International shipping transports more than 80 per cent of global trade to peoples and communities all over the world.
"Shipping is the most efficient and cost-effective method of international transportation for most goods; it provides a dependable, low-cost means of transporting goods globally, facilitating commerce and helping to create prosperity among nations and peoples. The world relies on a safe, secure and efficient international shipping industry and this is provided by the regulatory framework developed and maintained by IMO," read part of the statement.
It said Kenya has been a member of the IMO Council since 2011 and has been a member of the Organization since 1973.
According to the Ministry, the Port of Mombasa serves a number of countries in a region that hosts a combined population of over three hundred (300) million people.
"Over 90% of Kenya’s foreign trade is dependent on maritime transport and therefore cargo handling, marine services and other maritime related services touch the very heart of the country’s national economy. Based on Kenya National Bureau of Statistics Economic Survey 2015, Kenya imported goods worth Kshs 1.57 Trillion," the statement read.
It said, "Enabling Kenya’s participation in and benefit from the regional and global maritime transport value chain can yield thousands of jobs in the medium term, make imports cheaper and exports more competitive, as well as establish the Kenyan coastline as a major logistics and transportation hub on the eastern seaboard".
Currently all maritime transportation is in the hands of foreign companies and this comprises the biggest exposure and weak link to the national economy.
Kenya hosts the office of the IMO Regional Coordinator for Eastern and Southern Africa sub-region as well as four regional organisations important to the maritime states in the region.
In 2016, Kenya was elected to host the Regional Maritime Technology Cooperation Centre (MTCC) for the African Region, which will enhance the capacity for the Africa region in the promotion of ship energy efficiency technologies and operations, as well as the reduction of harmful emissions from shipping in Africa, thus mitigating the harmful effects of climate change.