This archive report was first published on 18 September 2019.
On September 18, 2019, the Kenyan government announced a major step towards ending maritime slavery by reviewing seafarers' pay and working agreements, a move that has been long overdue.
The move aims to address the extreme poor working conditions of over 7,000 registered seafarers in the country.
According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), the recommended minimum pay for seafarers is Ksh85,000 ($850) per month, but many are paid as little as Ksh18,000 ($180) per month.
Maritime and Shipping Affairs Principal Secretary Nancy Karigithu emphasized the need to improve the working conditions of seafarers, who often work in physically and mentally draining conditions.
"As we work to make gains on Blue Economy projects in the country, thousands of seafarers need to be motivated, that is why we are working on these regulations," said Ms Karigithu.
The government is at an advanced stage in setting up a Seafarers Sectoral Wage Council to check on the implementation of the set salary structure and attract more people to the sea employment.
Ms Karigithu also noted the need to address bottlenecks that have hindered local investors from owning ships, which would create more sea jobs.
Acting Labour Commissioner Geoffrey Omondi added that the Labour Institutions Act of 2007 has not adequately addressed remuneration of seafarers and determination of minimum wages.
