CONTACTS: +254 726879488 (Mobile)
+254770 455 116 (Office)
The State Department for Maritime and Shipping Affairs Thursday signed an agreement with the Danish Shipping company Det Forenede Dampskibs-Selskab (DFDS) to provide shipboard training to Kenyan cadets on-board it ships.
Speaking at the ceremony, Principal Secretary Nancy Karigithu said that the 5-year deal will see Kenyan marine engineering and nautical science cadets acquire seagoing service for a mandatory twelve month period, required to attain professional qualifications in the maritime industry either as marine engineering officers of navigating officers.
“We plan to expand maritime training to equip Kenyan youth with the skills to enable them access seafaring jobs in the local and global shipping industry,” she said.
Currently five Kenyan institutions offer marine engineering and nautical science courses. However, due to various reasons, students have found it challenging to secure the required shipboard training, key reason being the lack of locally owned ships appropriate for training cadets.
Bachelor of Science Degree courses are currently offered in Marine Engineering only while at Diploma level there are studies in Nautical Science and Marine Engineering (Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture & Technology Technical University of Mombasa respectively).