Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has launched the country’s first-ever coast guard to protect and monitor its territorial waters, joining the group of elite African countries with highly specialized service guarding its waterways.
Launching the coast guard near the shore of Mombasa, the president made specific mention of illegal fishing and ordered the unit to crack down on foreign vessels, who he said trawled Kenyan waters and then processed their catch in other countries.
Kenyan fishermen on Lake Victoria have long complained of harassment from Ugandan forces on contested waters, and they will also be hoping the coast guard will provide them with the protection they have long yearned for.
Until now Kenya’s maritime security depended solely on the Navy, who authorities say will now be free to focus more on security and military affairs.
Kenya’s interior ministry said that Kenya loses a lot of revenue annually due to illegal and criminal activities at sea, and the Coast Guard Service is expected to keep the seashores safe from aggression and illegal commercial activities.
The launch of the Coast Guard Service also comes as the country is preparing to host the Sustainable Blue Economy Conference scheduled for 26th to 29th November 2018.
0 Comments