Transport

Kenya set to take charge of regional maritime agency

maritime

Port of Mombasa. FILE PHOTO | NMG

Kenya is set to take over from Uganda the top leadership position of the regional maritime agency, Intergovernmental Standing Committee on Shipping (ISCOS). This will bring to an end the tenure of Ugandan Kassim Mpaata, who has been on acting capacity as the organisation’s secretary general for more than a year.

ISCOS is a regional organisation formed by Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia to handle their common shipping, maritime and logistics interests.

The agency’s secretary general serves as its chief executive officer.

In a paid up advert in the Daily Nation on Tuesday, ISCOS said those interested for the position should submit their applications, CVs and all other requirements to the Principle Secretary, State department for Shipping and Maritime Affairs in Nairobi by May 10.

This time, a Kenyan is to head the organisation whose top leadership is held on rotational basis among its member states.

Uganda took over the leadership from Tanzania.

The current ISCOS chairman is Isack Kamwelwe, a Tanzanian minister for Works, Transport and Communications.

ISCOS’ main objective is to serve the region and the international community as one-stop centre for regional maritime matters and logistics, and to ensure that the region is served by adequate and competitive shipping services through coherent and regionally coordinated programmes. ISCOS works and collaborates with a wide range of stakeholders both regionally and internationally on matters affecting the region.

“The organisation’s mandate, which accommodates substantial private sector participation, seeks to provide a structured dialogue with the public sector and other players in the industry, in order to ensure that national shipping and maritime policies are in tandem with the regional’s aspirations,” says a statement on its website.