Kenya's seafarers battle unpaid wages, poor working conditions

A vessel at the Port of Mombasa. [File, Standard]

For thousands of trained Kenyan seafarers, the promise of a career at sea remains out of reach even as the global shipping industry faces a shortage of qualified workers.

Veteran seafarers in Mombasa say projections show that the industry faced a shortfall of about 89,000 seafarers by 2026. Yet, many trained Kenyans remain unemployed or trapped in exploitative working arrangements. They blame weak policies, poor governance and a lack of political will for failing to connect local talent to available opportunities.

These concerns came into focus during this year’s Day of the Seafarer celebrations, held under the theme “Carrying World Trade. Carrying the Risks.”

For Andrew Mwangura, a former secretary general of the Seafarers Union of Kenya (SUK), the theme reflected the realities of a profession that keeps global trade moving but often comes at a heavy personal cost.

“The theme was a fitting tribute to the millions of men and women who brave treacherous seas, endure months of isolation, and face piracy, conflict, and perilous weather to ensure that the lifeblood of global commerce continues to flow,” he said.

He pointed out that these grievances were also recently raised by the Seafarers Union of Kenya (SUK). Mwangura said that poor pay and dehumanising working conditions aboard some local vessels also affected the work of seafarers not only in Kenya but in Africa.

Mwangura cited an example where nine crew members of the MV Sea Mfalme remain detained in Tanzania, their fate uncertain. On the FV Kivu Spear II, crew have gone five months without pay because of an ownership dispute under a Kenyan flag.

“These are not isolated incidents,” said veteran seafarer Steve Owaki. “They are symptoms of a regulatory system that has failed its most essential constituents.” He said the Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA), which is mandated to enforce labour standards and international conventions, has been accused of turning a blind eye to rogue employers. “This is a national embarrassment, especially as Kenya positions itself as a champion of the Blue Economy,” he said.

Mwangura also criticised the National Employment Authority (NEA), which has begun demanding certificates from seafarers before they board flights to overseas jobs. Some have already been denied boarding passes.

He said the directive contradicts the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), 2006, which Kenya ratified in 2014. The convention bars seafarers from bearing recruitment costs and requires transparent, accountable recruitment systems.

“Seafarers are not domestic migrant workers; they are international maritime professionals governed by a distinct body of international law,” he said. By grouping them with other workers, he argued, the NEA has rolled back gains made since 2018, when the first Kenyan cohorts were recruited by lines such as MSC Cruises.

He also warned of a return of fraudulent recruitment, recalling the 2001 cruise ship job scam in which thousands of Kenyans lost money. Recent revelations, he said, show that only six of the 13 manning and crewing agents licensed by the KMA have verifiable agreements with shipping lines.

“Kenya risks being seen as a supplier of underregulated labour rather than a professional maritime workforce,” he said. “We cannot allow history to repeat itself under the cover of official licensing and conflicting regulations.”

Mwangura said Kenya’s young, trainable workforce and strategic location could make it a maritime hub, but the potential remains untapped.

The Veteran Seafarers Association of Kenya has presented a position paper in Mombasa with a set of demands. First is training. Analysts say the lack of mandatory hands-on training facilities has locked many Kenyans out of jobs on international ships. The paper backs the enactment of the Bandari Maritime Academy Act and the creation of a Merchant Navy Training Board to give training institutions a legal footing.

It also proposes refurbishing the decommissioned Kenya Navy ships KNS Galana and KNS Tana as national training ships. That would cost an estimated Sh500 million to Sh800 million, compared with Sh49 billion for a new vessel.

Second, the government should end the confusion over documentation and recruitment. The Seafarer Identity Document should be issued without delay, recruitment should remain under maritime authorities, and a public database of verified manning agents should be set up immediately.

Third, the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) Convention and the MLC should be fully applied in all training institutions and workplaces. This includes structured training pathways and mandatory English proficiency courses for technical officers.

“The welfare of seafarers ought to be treated as a national priority. The establishment of a Seafarers Wages Council is critical to ensuring minimum wages and standards are set and enforced,” Mr Mwangura said.