Kenya Coast Guard Services on high alert as piracy on the rise

 

Kenya Coast Guard Services patrol vessel. FILE PHOTO | LABAN WALLOGA

By  KEVIN MUTAI  &  WACHIRA MWANGI

The Kenya Coast Guard Services (KCGS) has raised concerns over the re-emergence of piracy that is causing a threat to the country’s maritime industry.

KCGS Director General Bruno Shioso said the recent threats observed in the shipping industry pose a significant risk in the country’s maritime sector.

AccordThe Western Indian Ocean region comprises Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Somalia, and South Africa as well as the island States of Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles and the overseas French territories of Mayotte and Reunion.

The maritime and shipping industry has faced challenges from various crises, notably the Houthi attacks in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, crucial routes for vessels transiting the Suez Canal.

“We have done mapping in our waters and the resurgence of piracy has been facilitated by what’s happening in Gaza and it is now giving us an immediate threat in terms of our national security,” said Mr Shioso.

Currently, the KCGS operates MV Doria, a 54-metre (177 ft) offshore patrol vessel within the fleet which is being used for most of the patrols in the deep sea.

Kenya's maritime waters within the Indian Ocean were removed from the piracy red list in 2021, 12 years after it was designated as a high-risk area by the BMP-5, which comprises the five largest global shipping industry associations.

They are the International Association of Dry Cargo Ship Owners, International Association of Independent Tank Owners, International Chamber of Shipping, Oil Companies International Marine Forum and Baltic and International Maritime Council.

The country’s inclusion in the red list was a result of increased piracy incidents in the Indian Ocean including within Kenya’s territories.