Standardisation of regional coxswain training gathers steam

A coxswain is the person in charge of a boat, responsible for its navigation, steering, and the command of its crew. [iStockphoto]

Efforts to professionalise and standardise coxswain training in the region are gathering momentum amid rising cases of inland water accidents, poor safety standards, and a lack of harmonised certification systems across borders.

The initiative by the Maritime Organisation for Eastern, Southern and Northern Africa (MOESNA) is currently at the stakeholders’ consultative stage with stakeholders from Eastern, Southern and Northern Africa. 

A coxswain is the person in charge of a boat, responsible for its navigation, steering, and the command of its crew.

In Kenya, coxswains have in the past been blamed for causing major inland water accidents in Mtongwe, Mbita, Kisumu and Turkana.

A workshop in Nairobi, where maritime experts, transport officials and water transport operators gave inputs into a draft study report.

The study was carried out by Kenya's Bandari Maritime Academy (BMA), which has been leading technical research and stakeholders’ engagement on the proposed harmonised framework.

The validation exercise for the proposed curriculum is expected to take place in July this year, with the entire process targeted for completion by October this year, according to MOESNA Secretary General Kassim Mpaata.

Gift Moonga, the chairman of the MOESNA technical committee and assistant director under Zambia’s Ministry of Transport and Logistics, said the programme is timely as African countries intensify efforts to strengthen the maritime and inland waterways transport sectors.

He noted that coxswains remain central to water transport systems in many African countries despite operating largely in informal and unregulated environments.

“The region is focusing on strengthening its maritime sector and inland waterways systems, and this requires investment in human resources development. Coxswains play a critical role in ensuring connectivity across inland waters, yet many operate without structured training and harmonised certification,” said Eng Moonga.

Kenya’s Principal Secretary for the State Department for Shipping and Maritime Affairs, Aden Millah, said the initiative would play a critical role in improving safety and professionalism within the inland waterways sector across the region.

“The development of a harmonised regional coxswain curriculum is a major step toward enhancing safety, professionalism, and mutual recognition of competencies within the inland waterways transport sector. Standardised training will help reduce accidents while strengthening regional integration and unlocking opportunities within the blue economy,” said Millah.

Inland waterways remain lifelines for millions of people living around lakes, rivers, and island communities. Small vessels, operated by coxswains, facilitate the transport of passengers, goods, farm produce, schoolchildren, and medical supplies in areas where road infrastructure remains inadequate or inaccessible.

In Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, Lake Victoria alone supports thousands of small transport operators and fishing vessels that provide critical economic and social connectivity.

Maritime stakeholders say the sector suffers from weak regulation, lack of formal training and widespread safety lapses that have contributed to recurring accidents and fatalities.

Figures from the Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA) indicate that between 2015 and 2025, at least 420 inland water accidents were recorded on Lake Victoria, resulting in at least 269 deaths. 

Investigations identified overloading, poor weather conditions, a lack of life jackets, and the use of unlicensed vessels as major contributors to the accidents.

Uganda records an estimated 3,000 drowning deaths annually across Lakes Victoria, Albert and Kyoga, translating to roughly eight deaths daily. 

Tanzania has also experienced some of Africa’s deadliest maritime disasters, including the MV Nyerere disaster that claimed more than 224 lives due to overloading.

Maritime experts now argue that the “human factor” remains the single biggest contributor to many of the accidents.

Speaking during the consultative discussions, MOESNA boss, Mpaata, observed that coxswains continue to perform indispensable economic and social functions despite limited professional recognition.

“Coxswains are currently disorganised and informal, yet they play critical roles that are indispensable to our economies. They provide links to markets, schools and communities across inland waters. They are essential pillars of social and economic connectivity,” he said.

Mpaata added that most of the skills and operational knowledge used by coxswains are acquired traditionally through experience passed from one generation to another without formal professional training structures.

“As a result, there has been exclusion from structured growth and a lack of safety-orientated development in the sector. Many operators have valuable experience but no recognised framework for certification or professional advancement,” he said.

The proposed curriculum seeks to address these gaps through the establishment of a harmonised regional framework for coxswain training, testing and certification that can be recognised across borders.

Stakeholders say the absence of mutual recognition for coxswain certification has continued to limit labour mobility and standardisation within the regional maritime sector.

Enock Okwema, BMA lead consultant, noted that only a few MOESNA member states currently have coxswain training curricula in place, and most of them are locally designed with limited alignment to international standards.

“Very few MOESNA members have formal training curricula. In many countries, the curriculum is local, and the certification cannot effectively serve operators across borders,” said Okwema.

He pointed out that the sector also faces serious shortages of training equipment and accredited institutions capable of offering standardised maritime instruction for small vessel operators.

“There is no mutual recognition system, training equipment is inadequate, and the certification systems do not acknowledge the experience operators have gained over many years. Training is also not linked to global standards, and in many instances, the curriculum is not structured,” he said.

The proposed regional framework is expected to integrate practical experience gained informally over the years with structured professional training and competency-based certification.

The curriculum is also designed to ensure training becomes more accessible and affordable for small vessel operators, many of whom cannot afford expensive maritime education offered in conventional institutions.

The project specifically seeks to analyse existing coxswain training, testing, and certification programmes across the region while identifying prevailing training gaps and legal deficiencies affecting inland water transport operations.

The consultancy is further reviewing legal requirements governing the manning of small vessels, provisions relating to coxswain training and the level of accreditation available within participating countries.

Another critical component of the project involves examining how traditional operational knowledge acquired informally over decades can be incorporated into a modern regional certification framework without excluding experienced operators.

Maritime stakeholders believe the initiative could significantly improve safety standards while supporting regional integration and economic growth through safer and more professional inland waterway transport systems.

The move also aligns with growing calls for African countries to unlock the economic potential of blue economy sectors, including inland water transport, fisheries and maritime trade.

Coxswain operations are expected to reduce accidents, lead to enforcement of safety laws and create job opportunities within the maritime sector.