Bandari lowers fees for youth to tap into maritime growth

The Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) will introduce more courses and reduce fees at the Bandari College by 50 per cent in a fresh effort to build a pool of talent for the maritime sector.

The agency’s managing director Gichiri Ndua said various courses will be offered under the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) for form four leavers.

“These are short courses that last a month and we will be training a group of about 20 young people each month,” he said.

The SCTW is a basic course that is mandatory for all seafarers operating in sea, lakes and rivers.

It equips trainees with skills in fire-fighting, first aid and personal survival in the waters.

Bandari College principal Ezekiel Lang’at said they would implement the directive but that not all the courses will be affected.

“We offer various courses and not all will be offered in the programme. If there are resources needed KPA will make an allocation,” he said.

The college, with a student population of 350, has 50 instructors and a pool of over 100 resource persons specialising in various maritime courses, Mr Lang’at added.

Besides SCTW, Bandari offers diploma courses in marine engineering and nautical science, and craft certificates in marine and nautical science.

Last week, President Uhuru Kenyatta directed KPA to reduce the fees from the current Sh70,000 to Sh35,000 so as to attract more youth to take maritime course in the institution in a move expected to address joblessness among the young people and stem rising cases of radicalisation.

He also asked Coast MPs to provide bursaries to needy students to enable them pursue the courses.

Currently, there are 400 students from Lamu County undertaking technical courses in various institutions in the country with a target of 1,000, in preparation for the establishment of the Lamu port. Last month, the second batch of 200 students were recruited, with 50 of them expected to undertake degree programme.

Maritime experts have said there is projected enormous growth of shipping and marine operations in the county as a result of implementation of Vision 2030 projects related to shipping and maritime transport such as the Lamu Port South Sudan and Ethiopia Transport project; expansion of the Port of Mombasa and construction of the Dongo Kundu Free Port.