Kenya keen on implementing Maritime law

Kenya has never sued its neighbouring countries for breaking the International Laws of the Sea despite intrusion including by Somalia pirates, Defence Cabinet Secretary Raychelle Omamo has said.

Kenya ratified the convention in 1982 and domesticated the law in 1989 and since then, it has not made any complain to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea based in Hamburg, Germany.

Ms Omamo said piracy in the Kenyan waters had declined thanks to the establishment of a legitimate Government in Somalia.

"Piracy should be a concern of all since it's a crime of universal jurisprudence," said Omamo.

The Defence CS, who spoke after the International Conference of the Law of the Sea in Nairobi yesterday, said if the maritime laws are enforced, the country would benefit from the underlying mineral resources that have not been exploited for centuries.

"Our country consists not only of the land mass but territorial waters and we must protect our maritime waters and zones. Kenya Navy has the capacity and ability to protect our waters and exclusive economic zones," said Omamo.

The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea is an independent judicial body established by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea to adjudicate disputes arising out of the interpretation and application of the Convention.

The Tribunal is composed of 21 independent members, elected from among persons enjoying the highest reputation in the field of the law of the sea.