MOMBASA, Kenya – The Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA) has announced new enforcement measures requiring that all Kenyan seafarers be recruited exclusively through licensed agencies approved by the regulator.
In a notice issued to shipowners, operators, agents, and the public, KMA Director General Justus Nyarandi stressed that only agencies listed on the authority’s official website are permitted to hire Kenyan seafarers for local or foreign vessels.
“Any shipowner, agent, or person who engages in the recruitment of Kenyan seafarers without a valid license from KMA commits an offence and is liable to a fine, imprisonment, or both,” Nyarandi said.
The directive is anchored in Section 118(3) of the Merchant Shipping Act, 2009, which prohibits the recruitment of Kenyan crew members without prior authorisation from the maritime regulator.
KMA further cautioned that licensed recruitment and placement agents are prohibited from charging seafarers agency fees for job placement.
They are also required to submit monthly recruitment and embarkation reports to the authority.
“The Authority shall not be responsible for seafarers who accept engagement by unlicensed Recruitment and Placement Agents,” Nyarandi warned, urging workers to verify agency credentials before signing up for opportunities abroad.
The move comes amid growing concerns about rogue middlemen exploiting jobseekers in the maritime industry.
Unscrupulous agencies have in the past been accused of charging exorbitant placement fees, falsifying contracts, and abandoning Kenyan workers in foreign ports.
A seafarer is defined as any person employed or engaged in any capacity on board a vessel, including officers, engineers, cooks, and even support roles such as barbers on commercial fishing or cargo ships.
As part of its wider mandate, KMA regulates and develops Kenya’s seafaring workforce through training oversight, licensing of Maritime Service Providers (MSPs), issuance of the Kenyan Seafarer’s Identity Document (SID), and maintenance of a national seafarer database.
The authority maintains that only duly licensed providers will be allowed to operate, with violators risking prosecution and deregistration.
