Confusion over seafarer IDs exposes gaps in maritime governance

Steve Owaki from Seafarers union of Kenya talks to Kenya chefs recruited to work aboard Msc cruise ships. [File, Standard]

The government’s delay in issuing Seafarers’ Identification Documents (SIDs) is threatening the jobs of thousands of Kenyan seafarers and exposing gaps in the country’s maritime governance.

Experts attribute the delays largely to the lack of a single authority to oversee the process: From policy formulation to issuance, with maritime services currently spread across multiple government departments.