Italian ship builder to set up base in Mombasa

By Philip Mwakio

One of the world’s largest ship building firms, Fincantierri of Italy, is considering setting up base at the Port of Mombasa.

Visiting Italian Navy aircraft carrier, Cavour, Fincantieri International Business Consultant in charge of Naval Vessel Building Unit, Ezio Vernetti, confirmed that they were eyeing Mombasa for business operations.

“One of our key goals and intentions for this year is to have a presence in this part of the African continent. Mombasa is ideal for us since we have long standing working relations with the Kenya Navy,’’ he said in an interview with The Standard. 

“The Kenya Navy is keen to maintain high safety standards on its ships. We hope to enter into negotiations with them on possibilities of more cooperation,” Vernetti said.

Two Kenya Navy warships, KNS Umoja and KNS Nyayo, in 2011 underwent refurbishments and mid life refits at the La Spezia shipyard near Genoa in north-eastern Italy.

 The Nyayo class vessels are fast attack crafts built in Britain by Vosper Thornycroft and delivered in 1988. Fincantieri had received orders from the Kenya Navy in 2008 after beating firms from the UK, Holland and South Africa for the exercise on the Kenya Navy vessel.

As part of the mid life refurbishment process, Fincantieri replaced a third of the structures on each of the two vessels and rebuilt the hulls.  Work was also done on the propulsions systems, propellers, electrical equipment, furnishings, installations and floorings.

The firm has built over 7,000 vessels and 65 cruise ships valued at more than  $28 billion.