KIBAKI SIGNS SHIPPING BILL INTO LAW
By The Daily Nation Correspondent Posted Sunday, May 31 2009

President Kibaki has signed the Merchant Shipping Act 2009 into law. The law is expected to transform Kenya’s maritime industry to meet standards set by International Maritime Organization.

The Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA) director-general, Ms Nancy Karigithu, praised the move, saying that the new law will effectively regulate the industry that has been relying on 1967 legislation, which does not address key transformations.
Kenya has attempted to come up with a maritime law several times in the past without success. For instance, in 2006, Parliament went on recess before the Bill went through the third reading, which according to the standing orders then made it to lapse.

Domesticates
The Bill, which was passed by Parliament in February, received presidential assent on Friday. The Act domesticates all the 24 international conventions that Kenya has ratified.

With the new law, Mrs. Karigithu said, Kenya will now offer maritime training. According to the Standards of Training Certification and Watch-keeping for Seafarers introduced in 1995 by IMO, countries that have not domesticated key international conventions are not allowed to train seafarers.

Kenya passed a maritime training curriculum in September last year, but institutions could not start the training because it is hinged upon the new law.