Kenya Deploys Maritime App to Give Coast Guard a “Third Eye” at Sea

Kenya has launched a new mobile application, which connects fishermen at sea directly to the Kenya Coast Guard Service.

Security agencies can now receive real-time information from people operating in the country’s most active maritime zones.

Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen unveiled the Usalama Baharini app [KP] on Tuesday in Mombasa. He described it as a tool that gives the Kenya Coast Guard Service a “third eye” on threats at sea.

Murkomen spoke at PrideInn Paradise Beach Resort, during the opening of the Fourth Indo-Pacific Regional Information Sharing (IORIS) Steering Committee High-Level Meeting.

How the App Works

The Usalama Baharini app [KP] is integrated into the IORIS platform. That platform is a secure web-based system. It connects more than 150 agencies from over 70 countries.

Through the integration, fishermen at sea receive security and safety alerts. In return, they feed information back to authorities. As a result, the Coast Guard extends its surveillance reach beyond what patrol vessels alone can cover.

“Through this integration of technologies, Kenya Coast Guard Service is able to leverage the fisher-folks at sea in accessing critical security and safety information, enabling timely enforcement reaction,” Murkomen said.

In addition, the IORIS platform supports real-time coordination among key agencies. These include the Kenya Navy, Kenya Ports Authority, Kenya Maritime Authority, and the Border Control and Operations Coordination Committee.

Kenya’s Maritime Threats

Murkomen listed several dangers facing Kenya’s territorial waters. These include piracy, armed robbery at sea, and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. Dumping of hazardous materials in the ocean was also flagged.

He pointed to the Middle East conflict as a warning about what sea disruptions can cost.

“The ongoing Middle East crisis is a clear manifestation of how we all suffer when our sea lanes of maritime transport are disrupted,” he said.

Meanwhile, Kenya’s partnership with the European Union has deepened the country’s maritime response capacity. The collaboration falls under the Critical Maritime Routes Indo-Pacific (CRIMARIO) project.

Regional Cooperation at the Core

The three-day IORIS Steering Committee meeting has drawn maritime security officials, government representatives, and international partners from across the Indo-Pacific region.

EU-CRIMARIO Project Director Martin Cauchi Inglott, Kenya Coast Guard Service Director General Bruno Shioso, and Deputy Head of Delegation of the European Union to Kenya Ondrej Simek attended the opening session.

The Usalama Baharini app [KP] represents Kenya’s most visible contribution to the regional information-sharing framework to date.

Murkomen reaffirmed the government’s commitment to open and secure sea lanes. “Kenya is ready at all times to collaborate with nations and stakeholders to free our common waters of any threats that impede commerce and freedom of navigation,” he said.