In conversation with Shadrack Mwadime, Principal Secretary - Maritime, Ministry for Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs
Kenya’s maritime domain is not only central to its economic future, but also provides access to the seas for vast swathes of landlocked Africa, from Uganda and Rwanda to parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan. We speak to Shadrack Mwadime, Principal Secretary – Maritime at the Ministry for Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs to understand more of his and the Kenyan government’s approach to this vital natural resource.
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Why is securing the Maritime Domain so important to Kenya?
It is so vital to us as we seek to benefit more from the opportunities of the blue economy. Over a number of years we have focused our industrial strength heavily on agriculture and the green economy, now is the time for us to better avail ourselves of our blue economic endowment. It has become of significant importance to this administration. We see the blue space as providing job opportunities for Kenyan workers, and bountiful opportunities for our entrepreneurs. We want Kenyans to see the maritime domain as an area of immense national opportunity – and it is our role in government to help secure that.
What would you say, then, would be your key maritime security priority?
For Kenyans – and Africans as a whole – we prioritise opportunities for the youth. And with the scourge of illegal fishing our youth are being denied opportunities. Certain international actors have been exploiting our fish resources for their own good, and not for the benefits of Kenyans. A lot of our stock is stolen. With much of the processing conducted by these external actors taking place on the high seas, this doesn’t simply mean fewer fish for our fishermen to catch, it also means reduced jobs in value addition onshore, and knock on effects for associated industries, such as logistics. So, our highest priority is to safeguard our fish stocks. To do so we are working with international partners, and we are focused on securing borders by building capacity of the relevant agencies and growing the Navy.
You mention working alongside international partners – how important is international cooperation to addressing these issues?
Regional cooperation is critical. There is no country that has sufficient capacity to secure its borders fully without cooperating with neighbours. There is no way Kenya can police its waters and boundaries entirely on its own. Beyond regional cooperation, global responses are also vital. The International Maritime Organisation (IMO), for example, allows pertinent issues to be addressed by a centralised body. Matters of illegal fishing can only be dealt with by coordinated efforts, and the IMO creates these frameworks for coordination and response.
What are the advances that will make securing your waters more effective?
Of course, technology plays an important role. We are exploring technologies that allow us to harvest information and share this information across international borders. New technology can allow us to see in real-time some of the threats in the ocean and we look forward to optimising these advances. Being able to then relate this information to our own national assets or to those of regional partners is a huge benefit.
Finally, Kenya has been leading the dialogue on the Blue Economy for years. What are the key reflection points for what needs to be done in the future?
Kenya hosted the Bue Economy conference in 2018, and it was an eye opener. Particularly to local enterprise that saw there is an opportunity to grow their businesses by developing in the blue space. Ever since 2018 the discussions on maritime threat have been robust and consistent, centred on how we can create a secure and conducive environment for economic success.
A priority for Kenya is to see smaller Kenyan businesses lead in the full blue economy ecosystem. Whether that’s in transporting maritime resources inland or in providing the legal and financial services that drive the industry forward. Along the whole value chain from ocean to destination we are exploring ways to place Kenyans at the forefront of that. Kenyans will not benefit from this alone, partners in the landlocked countries, and their small businesses, can also use Kenya’s maritime access.
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