Mombasa holds high-level meeting to implement maritime security

MOMBASA — Key maritime leaders and regional stakeholders gathered in Mombasa this week for a high-level meeting aimed at strengthening cooperation under the Djibouti Code of Conduct (DCoC) to curb piracy, armed robbery, and other illicit activity on the Western Indian Ocean. The Kenyan Government underscored its commitment to deepening collaboration at the session, with a strong emphasis on safeguarding the blue economy — the economic opportunities arising from the country’s maritime domain. Kenya News Agency
Principal Secretary for Maritime Affairs, Nancy Karigithu, highlighted that while the DCoC was initially focused on piracy and ship raids, its scope has since widened to tackle emerging maritime crimes such as human trafficking and illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Kenya News Agency She noted that the Jeddah Amendments — which Kenya has signed — provide a solid governance framework for national and regional coordination, including establishing maritime domain awareness centers. Kenya News Agency Karigithu also called for a clear roadmap, backed by a whole-of-government structure, to ensure timely information sharing and institution building across agencies. Kenya News Agency
Regional partners echoed Kenya’s urgency, citing shared risks and interdependence in securing sea routes and coastal assets. Representatives from neighboring states praised Kenya’s leadership in hosting the meeting and pushing for unified maritime governance. Kenya News Agency According to Karigithu, donor engagement remains critical: a forum will help align regional financing to fill capacity gaps — particularly for national centers that would coordinate surveillance, risk assessment, and response across countries. Kenya News Agency
Looking ahead, participants expect concrete outcomes — not just on paper, but in practical operations. Key deliverables would include formalizing a regional governance structure, rolling out the regional roadmap, and establishing communication hubs for real-time maritime domain awareness. Kenya News Agency The success of these efforts could significantly improve Kenya’s ability to protect its coastline, support its blue-economy ambitions, and build trust with maritime neighbours in the fight against transnational crime at sea.