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{
"id": 1193772,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1193772/?format=api",
"text_counter": 119,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Faki",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 13211,
"legal_name": "Mohamed Faki Mwinyihaji",
"slug": "mohamed-faki-mwinyihaji-2"
},
"content": "The KMA falls under the Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure Housing, Urban Development and Public Works. Currently there is a Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy & Maritime Affairs, Sometimes in June, 2022, the Principal Secretary (PS) in charge of the State Department of Shipping and Maritime wrote to the Acting Director-General of KMA seeking a budget line for establishment of the office of a Maritime Attaché at the Kenya High Commission in the United Kingdom. On 14th August, 2002 the Ag. Director General wrote to the Principal Secretary, State Department of Shipping and Maritime, conveying the Board’s approval of the reduction in the Training Budget of Kshs47,394,600 and allocation of the same to the Enhancement of Partnerships and Collaboration Department. On 14th October, 2022, the Ag. Director General paid the sum of Kshs47,394,600 to the State Department of Shipping and Maritime for purposes of establishing a Maritime Desk at the Kenya High Commission in the United Kingdom (UK). Mr. Speaker, Sir, it is my humble submission that this payment is illegal and should not be allowed to stand. The Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA) is the regulator in matters shipping and maritime. The Government has a specific department dealing with the Blue Economy, which is headed by Rt. General Samson Mwathethe. This should be the Department responsible for matters to do with liaison. Therefore, funds meant to train staff at KMA have be transferred to open a liaison office abroad, while the shipping industry here in Kenya is starved of funds to train our seamen. These are the dangers posed by having one individual in the Ministry of Transport, who handpicks the Board of KMA and its Director General, so that he or she can direct them at her will. Our Seamen are losing jobs because we do not have credible maritime training institutions to train them. Our maritime institutions do not have sufficient training facilities and qualified tutors. We do not have a training ship and our graduates from the Jomo Kenyatta University (JKUAT) and the Technical University of Mombasa (TUM) rely on foreign vessels to take their graduates for practical sea training, yet KMA has the luxury to allocate Kshs47,394,600 per year from funds meant to train maritime staff. The money goes to a liaison office, which may not add much value to our maritime industry. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the cost of a training ship such as the Virgo, owned by Seychelles, is approximately USD375,000. This is equivalent to Kshs45,000,000 at the current exchange rate. High quality education and training is vital to preserve the quality, practical skills and competence of qualified seafarers in keeping vessels safe, protecting the environment and keeping trade flowing in our country. Such cannot be accomplished when the premier maritime regulator is insensitive to the training needs of our own. Mr. Speaker, Sir, as I conclude, I plead with you to consider the gravity of this matter and refer this Statement to the Standing Committee on Roads and Transportation, pursuant to Standing Order No.52(3). I pray that the Committee shall endeavour to investigate the matter and come up with strong policy frameworks, to deter such violations of the law in future."
}