President Uhuru Kenyatta was present at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure and the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) for the revival of the Kenya National Shipping Line (KNSL).
The MoU was signed by James Macharia, Transport and Infrastructure Cabinet Secretary and Captain Giovanni Cuomo, the First Vice President of Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), one of the leading global container shipping companies in the world.
Speaking during the signing ceremony at State House, Nairobi, President Kenyatta said the revival of the shipping line was a priority for Kenya because it will promote job creation for thousands of Kenyans.
“We are very keen to revive the shipping line. And we are confident that we can run the shipping line again,” President Kenyatta said.
“This is a valued partnership between Kenya and the private sector. I look forward to launching the shipping line soon,” the Head of State said.
In reviving KNSL through the partnership with MSC, the shipping line is expected to once again become an active participant in international seaborne trade which accounts for a significant percentage of Kenya’s total trade.
The revival of the shipping line and the upgrading of Bandari College into a centre of excellence for maritime studies which was approved by the Cabinet this week is set to transform Mombasa into a trans-shipment hub in the region and is a huge boost to the ongoing efforts to mainstream blue economy as an important economic activity in the country.
The Kenya National Shipping Line was established in 1987 as the national carrier for seaborne trade but years of mismanagement led to its near collapse necessitating the current proactive efforts to restart its operations.
