By Benadeta Mwaura - Reporter
26 November 2025 - Kenya, along with 18 other African nations, has moved closer to launching a regional shipping line aimed at reducing reliance on foreign freight companies, cutting soaring shipping costs, and strengthening intra‑African trade.
The effort, led by the Maritime Organisation for Eastern, Southern and Northern Africa (MOESNA), was unveiled during a high‑level meeting in Nairobi, where delegates reviewed draft feasibility studies and a proposed regional maritime cargo protocol.
According to MOESNA Secretary‑General Kassim Mpaata, the initiative is designed to close a long‑standing gap in Africa’s maritime capacity: though nearly 90 percent of the continent’s international trade moves by sea, control over shipping capacity remains “minimal and fragmented.”
“We don’t have a regional cargo protocol to encourage investment in vessels. We don’t have a regional framework for collaboration among indigenous shipping lines, and so we continue operating in silos,” Mpaata said.
“This framework will allow us to promote vessel ownership, improve collaboration and strengthen the region’s maritime trade.”
If the plan holds, the regional shipping line could save African economies as much as US$ 3 billion annually, funds currently spent on foreign-owned shipping lines that service imports and exports destined for African markets.
Why the Push, Disruption, Costs and Missed Potential
Global supply‑chain shocks, rising freight fees, and unpredictable shipping schedules have hit African countries hard in recent years. Experts argue that lack of regional maritime capacity increases the cost of imports, and hurts local industries reliant on imported raw materials.
For many countries in Eastern, Southern, and Northern Africa, shipping remains expensive and inefficient, sometimes rendering intra‑African trade more costly than shipping from outside the continent.
Kenya, a major regional hub through the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) and the Port of Mombasa, stands to benefit significantly. Already, KPA has launched reforms to decongest Mombasa Port and improve clearance times, moves seen as complementary to the regional shipping proposal.
What the Plan Envisions, More than Just Ships
The proposed regional structure is not only about owning vessels, it also calls for a common maritime cargo protocol, harmonized rules for vessel movement, and investment in coastal shipping services.
The protocol aims to enable local shipping firms to operate competitively, reduce dependency on multinational firms, and foster African-owned maritime infrastructure.
Kenya’s State Department for Shipping and Maritime Affairs Principal Secretary Aden Millah described the current over-reliance on foreign operators as a major constraint:
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“We are at the mercy of international companies. We have no control over the charges and the rules of the game they dictate. If we can have our own regional shipping line, the pricing of goods and services will stabilise and we will strengthen intra‑African trade.”
Proponents say the line could dramatically lower freight costs by eliminating extra “destination charges”, fees often imposed by foreign shippers when containers are unloaded and transferred regionally.
Economic Integration, Jobs and Regional Trade Gains
If successfully implemented, the regional shipping line could have broad continental benefits. Reduced shipping costs may lower the price of imports, boost affordability of essential goods, and support regional manufacturing that relies on imported inputs. It could also expand export capacity, making African products more competitive globally and within the continent under African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Also, the scheme could create thousands of jobs, from vessel crew and port staff to freight logistics, maintenance, ship‑building, and support services. Coastal and port communities long marginalized could finally benefit from sustained maritime‑sector growth.
Frameworks, Ratification and Reality Check
For the vision to materialize, the draft feasibility studies and cargo protocol must be ratified by participating governments, and vessel financing secured. Integration of national regulations, maritime laws, and logistics corridors will be critical. Experts caution that without strong governance, local capacity building, and oversight, the plan could stall like previous attempts to revive national shipping lines.
Still, the momentum is real. Many among the 19-state group argue that only collective action can shield Africa from unpredictable global freight markets and help regain control of its sea trade.
For Kenya, Africa, Global Trade
This regional shipping line could mark a turning point in Africa’s maritime history. It represents a strategic shift, from dependency on external carriers to self-reliance and regional ownership.
For Kenya, the move reinforces its role as a logistics hub; for Africa, it signals a push for economic sovereignty. In a world where global supply‑chains are volatile, this could be the kind of structural transformation that gives African economies greater stability, competitiveness, and growth potential.
If the commitment holds, and states deliver on their pledges, vessels ordered, protocols signed, infrastructure upgraded, then what now seems a political idea could become a freight‑lane revolution that reshapes African trade for decades to come.
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