Navigating Stormy Waters: Kenya’s Maritime Threats and the Balancing Act of External and Domestic Responses

Abstract

This article investigates contemporary threats in Kenya’s maritime spaces, the institutional response to these maritime threats, and an
assessment of Kenya’s maritime security strategy. Persistent external domination of the Western Indian Ocean region, maritime terrorism, piracy, illegal unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing, illicit trade and maritime territorial disputes continue to pose threats to Kenya’s maritime spaces. Although there is a legal framework in response to the threats, different agencies have no clear strategies on maritime affairs. The situation is compounded by a coordination problem between concerned agencies and tensions between the national government and the coastal counties over the legitimacy of intragovernmental maritime assignments. The study recommends that policymakers should reflect critically on maritime domain awareness with the aim of reducing seablindness, thereby enhancing Kenya’s sea power and ability to effectively exploit maritime wealth in the quest for a national maritime security strategy.