Indonesia’s Embassy in Nairobi has emphasized the potential of Asian-African collaboration for the development of Kenya’s maritime sector.
While delivering the keynote speech to over 1,200 participants during the Blue Economy Summit currently underway at Prideinn Resort Hotel, Mombasa, Minister Counsellor Wisnu Lombardwinanto, representing Indonesia’s Ambassador to Kenya, noted the country’s commitment to blue economy partnerships with African nations, including Kenya.
“Indonesia Chairs the Working Group on Blue Economy in the Indian Ocean Rim Association and plays active roles in the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), the International Maritime Organization and the ITLOS,” he said. “In these platforms, Indonesia has sought not only to contribute but also to champion solutions for sustainable ocean governance, including in Blue Economy.”
As an archipelagic nation with over 17,000 islands and one of the world’s longest coastlines, Indonesia has positioned the blue economy at the centre of its development strategy.
Lombardwinanto outlined the country’s approach which includes strengthening fisheries management, combating illegal fishing through the FAO Port State Measures Agreement and conserving millions of hectares of marine areas.
Indonesia has also pioneered innovative financing mechanisms including sovereign green sukuk, blue bonds and blended finance options, while developing a Blue Economy Development Index to monitor progress across the sector.
“The ocean is truly a lifeline where millions of people depend directly on marine resources for food, livelihoods, and identity,” Lombardwinanto stated, emphasizing Indonesia’s balanced approach to economic opportunity and environmental stewardship.
The four-day event, running from September 23-26, 2025, has attracted a diverse range of participants including government officials, startups and international development partners.
The conference take place at a critical time for Kenya’s maritime sector, which faces significant skills development challenges despite abundant opportunities.
Industry experts have identified maritime education as a key bottleneck preventing Kenyans from accessing emerging opportunities in the growing blue economy sector.
“The blue economy has the potential to employ thousands of young people from across Kenya’s 21 ‘blue’ counties”, noted maritime expert Sabrina Jefwa who is among the attendees. “However most of them lack the right skills and knowledge to benefit from these opportunities. The Technical & Vocational Education Authority (TVETA) needs to upgrade the existing training programmes and infrastructure in our Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) centres to meet international maritime standards.”
Sector stakeholders have also decried the lack of practical training equipment, especially maritime simulators that provide hands-on experience essential for international certification.
The Kenyan government has actively been seeking international partnerships to facilitate the provision of such equipment to enhance the quality of maritime education.
“We also need to align Kenya’s policies with international maritime frameworks,” added Ms. Jefwa. “These policy misalignments affect everything from crew certification standards to port operations compliance, limiting Kenya’s competitiveness in the global maritime market.”
According to Mr. Lombardwinanto, Indonesia has already provided 10 capacity-building programs for Kenya covering agriculture, fisheries, maternal health, medical standards, trade and investment promotion and geothermal energy over the last 3 years.
He however reiterated the country’s commitment to continue collaborating with Kenya on programmes such as integrated coastal villages, building fisheries value chains, piloting eco-tourism initiatives and advancing renewable ocean energy projects under a South-South cooperation framework.
