Kenya putting up shipbuilding, repair facility

Defense Cabinet Secretary Rachael Omamo (PHOTO: STANDARD)

MOMBASA, KENYA: Kenya is eyeing the lucrative shipbuilding and repair industry following plans to start construction work of a modern shipyard facility at the Kenya Navy Mtongwe base, Mombasa County.

A shipyard or a dockyard is a place where ships are built, repaired.

Defence Cabinet Secretary, Ambassador Raychelle Omamo officiated launch of construction works last week where Dutch firm, Damen Group, is the main project contractor.

The CS said that she was confident of professional work on the project, which Damen will undertake in two years’ time.

''I have full confidence in what Damen will undertake and hope they will keep to the timelines to have the project ready by 2021,'' the CS said.

Damen Shipyards Group is a globally operating company with more than 50 shipyards, repair yards, and related companies − as well as numerous partner yards that can build Damen vessels locally. 

Since 1969 it has designed and built more than 5,000 vessels and delivers up to 150 vessels annually. 

Omamo termed the project being undertaken as a complete game -changer for Kenya's maritime industry and said that it was timely as its implementation comes at a time when the government is keen on harnessing the potentials that exists in the Blue Economy frontier.

'' We shall be able to have own Naval vessels repaired or even build own indigenous ships as well as be able to carry out repair works for other vessels in and around the East African region,'' Omamo who was flanked by Principal Secretary for Defence, Mr Torome Saitoti said.

She added that the shipyard project is a potential transformative project as Kenya aims to reposition its military to be a catalyst for industrialisation.