Kenyan seafarers to get globally standardised ID within three months
The move comes amid mounting concerns over job losses linked to noncompliance with international maritime regulations.
Kenyan seafarers to get globally standardised ID within three months
Kenyan seafarers will now be required to obtain an internationally recognised Seafarer Identification Document (SID) that will also serve as a travel document, in a bid to enhance their mobility and security.
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The move comes amid mounting concerns over job losses linked to noncompliance with international maritime regulations.
Appearing before the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Diaspora Affairs and Migrant Workers on Tuesday, Immigration and Citizen Services Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang said the SID must meet global standards and is expected to be rolled out within three months once final approvals and system installations are completed.
Kipsang revealed that a sample SID card has already been submitted to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) for approval.
“ILO has provided feedback to be incorporated in the revised sample card. The updated version will feature actual data embedded in both the chip and QR code before being resubmitted to ILO for review,” he said.
He further disclosed that the State Department had procured live capture units for biometric enrolment of seafarers.
He said the live capture system will be customised to align with the Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA) business processes, enabling enrolment and real-time transmission to the central processing system at the National Registration Bureau (NRB).
Highlighting the unique nature of the SID, Kipsang noted that, unlike the National ID, which serves a domestic purpose, the SID must meet international standards as it will double up as a travel document for seafarers crossing borders.
Committee members sought clarity on the remaining requirements and the rationale behind the three-month timeline. In response, Kipsang stated that the outstanding tasks include completing the Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) audit and certification process by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), as well as acquiring servers and network infrastructure to host the seafarers’ database at both KMA and NRB.
He assured the committee of timely delivery, saying the department was collaborating closely with ICAO and fully recognised the significance of the document.
“Within the next three months, it will be ready,” he said.
Over the past year, Kenyan seafarers have lost dozens of jobs and missed out on opportunities aboard cargo and cruise ships due to noncompliance with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Convention.
More than 1,500 Kenyan seafarers have been unable to secure employment after failing to obtain the SID, a globally standardised ID required under the SID Convention.
Kenya ratified this convention on February 4, 2022, becoming the 38th country to do so. The convention came into force on August 4, 2022, following a six-month grace period for countries to implement necessary measures, and was fully enforced worldwide last year.
In contrast, Tanzania has complied with the convention by issuing thousands of SIDs to its seafarers, positioning itself as a significant source of maritime labour for numerous cargo and cruise ships in East Africa.
The enforcement of this international labour law, effective from May 2, 2024, has led to thousands of Kenyan seafarers and crew members losing jobs across various shipping companies. An estimated 1.5 million Kenyan seafarers are affected by these restrictions, highlighting the urgent need for Kenya to finalise the issuance of compliant SIDs.
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