NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 9 — Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has called for deeper regional and international cooperation to address emerging maritime threats, saying stronger security partnerships are critical as Kenya seeks to expand its footprint in the global maritime industry.
Speaking during the opening of the 4th Indo-Pacific Regional Information Sharing Platform (IORIS) Steering Committee High-Level Meeting in Mombasa, Murkomen said no single country can effectively confront the increasingly complex security challenges facing maritime domains.
“Proactive cooperation and partnerships are extremely critical in safeguarding our maritime security,” Murkomen said.
His remarks come as Kenya positions itself as a key maritime hub in the region while pursuing new employment opportunities for its workforce in the international shipping sector.
Murkomen’s appeal follows President William Ruto’s announcement that Norwegian maritime company Wilhelmsen plans to recruit 1,000 Kenyan seafarers after engagements with the firm aimed at expanding employment opportunities for Kenyan youth.
The Interior CS emphasized that secure and well-coordinated maritime spaces are essential for supporting trade, job creation, and economic growth.
The three-day conference has brought together maritime security agencies, policymakers, and development partners from across the Indo-Pacific region to explore ways of enhancing information sharing and operational coordination in the fight against piracy, human and drug trafficking, illegal fishing, maritime terrorism, and transnational organized crime.
The meeting is jointly hosted by the Kenya Coast Guard Service (KCGS) and the European Union-funded Critical Maritime Routes Indo-Pacific (EU-CRIMARIO) project.
A key focus of the discussions is the IORIS platform, a secure web-based system that facilitates real-time communication, information sharing, and coordination among maritime agencies.
The platform currently connects more than 150 agencies across 70 countries, enabling authorities to share intelligence and coordinate responses to incidents at sea.
Murkomen said strengthening such collaborative frameworks is vital for safeguarding maritime routes that play an increasingly important role in regional and global commerce.
As Kenya continues investing in its blue economy agenda, maritime security has become an increasingly important national priority, particularly along the country’s Indian Ocean coastline and major shipping corridors.
The conference is expected to examine strategies for improving regional cooperation, enhancing maritime situational awareness, and strengthening the capacity of agencies to respond to evolving security threats.
Among those attending the meeting are EU-CRIMARIO Director Martin Cauchi Inglott, Kenya Coast Guard Service Director General Bruno Shioso, and European Union Deputy Head of Delegation to Kenya Ondrej Simek.
The discussions are expected to culminate in renewed commitments to cross-border information sharing, joint maritime operations, and stronger regional collaboration aimed at securing one of the world’s most strategically important maritime regions.
