Kenya urged to build own ferries, ships

Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho (left) welcomes Ugandan High Commissioner to Kenya Angelina Wapakhabulo (centre) and Damen Shipyard’s Director of Civil and Modular Construction Marcel Karsijns during the pre-launch of the Ugandan ferry named Albert Nile-1 at the Mombasa Ferry in Mombasa County on Wednesday. The ferry has been built in Kenya. [Photo: Kelvin Karani/Standard]

The politics of Kenya's preference for imports was displayed on Wednesday when Uganda accepted a ferry manufactured by a Kenyan company at a Mombasa-based shipyard.

The irony was that Kenya has just ordered for the construction of two ferries from a Turkey shipyard even as Uganda's MV Albert 1 was being built at the Southern Engineering Company (Seco) shipyard on Mombasa Island.

Leaders who spoke at the launch of the Ugandan vessel that was built for Lake Albert in Uganda called for increased Government spending on 'local content' instead of always preferring imports.

Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho said Kenya should move away from the culture of importing all its vessels from aboard in order to promote ship building technology and job creation locally.

He noted that the proposed Lamu and Dongo Kundu free ports in Mombasa would increase demand for vessels and called on the State to give incentives to those involved in vessel making in the country.

"There is need for Kenya to tell its own story of achievements and also move away from importing almost everything and support local manufacturing," reiterated Joho.

He observed that MV Pwani (formerly MV Safina) and MV Mvita ferries which were used by Kenya Ferry Services (KFS) were built in Mombasa and wondered why Kenya had relied heavily on vessel imports.

The county chief pledged to attend the commissioning of the vessel in Uganda to drum up support for local procurement of Kenya's ferries.

Ugandan High Commissioner to Kenya Angeline Wapakhabulo said her country supported procurement of ferries and other goods from the East African region. She urged Kenya to reciprocate by buying its surplus sugar from Uganda as a gesture of good relations.

Tender awarded

Kenya has just awarded a tender to Turkish shipyard company, Ozata Tersanececik Ltd, to design, build and commission the two ferries at a cost of  Sh1.9 billion (USD18.6 million), set to be delivered next year.

Seco and Damen Shipyard of Netherlands bid to build the ferries in Mombasa but lost to the Turkish firm.

In 2010, KFS received MV Kwale and MV Likoni procured by the Government from Germany at Sh1.3 billion. Apart from Southern Engineering, Mombasa is also home to African Marine and General Engineering which also builds and repairs vessels.

During the pre-launch of the Ugandan ferry, Seco displayed the fully assembled MV Albert 1 built in partnership with Damen shipyard of the Netherlands, saying it was "built 100 per cent by Kenyans."

The Sh310 million (USD3 million) vessel with a capacity of 250 people and 20 vehicles will then be dismantled and transported to Uganda in 22 trucks before being reassembled and commissioned.

General manager Omri Cohen said during the pre-launch that 200 Kenyans were employed to construct the ferry in a partnership project between Seco shipyard of Kenya and Damen shipyard of Netherlands.

KFS managing director Hassan Musa explained there was no sinister motive by Government in awarding the tender to the Turkish firm, adding that all procurement procedures were strictly followed.

Kenya Association of Manufacturers Mombasa branch Chairman Munir Thabit urged Kenya and other East African states to have preference for locally-built vessels.

Also present were Kenya Ports Authority Managing Director Gichiri Ndua, Seco Managing Director Arif Kurji, Damen shipyard Director Marcel Karsijns, Ugandan National Roads Authority Mechanical Manager Herbert Mutyaba.