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A HISTORY in the making.
This would sum up Nancy Karigithu's role in the International Maritime Organization (IMO) should she win the July 18 elections for the secretary-general position of the world's foremost maritime agency.
If Karigithu is favored by the majority of the 175 member state voters against six other contenders, one of whom is also a woman, she would be the first female secretary-general and the first African to hold the position in IMO's 75-year history.
Nancy Karigithu, ambassador and special envoy for the Maritime and Blue Economy in Kenya’s State Department for Shipping and Maritime. PHOTO BY WILMAR ALMERIAIn her statement of intent, Karigithu expressed a strong determination to win the position and advocate for women's role in the global maritime industry.
"At a time when there is an increasing call to empower more women to support and lead the maritime sector, I wish to act, lead, and be seen as a role model for millions of women out there who are aspiring to enter the maritime sector and make a difference," she said.
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Karigithu is a native of Mombasa, Kenya where she practiced law since 1987.
Her exposure to the maritime industry started in 1990 as the senior legal officer of Kenya Ports Authority. She served in different legal capacities for maritime institutions until she was appointed as the director-general and chief executive of the Kenya Maritime Authority in 2006.
In 2016, she became the principal secretary of Kenya's State Department for Shipping and Maritime, and in 2022, she was appointed as the ambassador and special envoy for the Maritime and Blue Economy in Kenya's State Department for Shipping and Maritime.
In this capacity, she has been a senior delegate of the Kenyan government to IMO meetings for over 18 years and has been instrumental in the implementation of IMO programs both in Kenya and throughout the African region.
She has also served three terms as chairman of the IMO Technical Cooperation Committee.
Her 35-year career in shipping allowed her to improve diversity in the sector. She was involved in the setting up and launch of the Association of Women in the Maritime Sector in Eastern & Southern Africa (Womesa) where she served for two terms as a chairman and now sits on the governing council.
"Through these positions, I have been responsible for the operational and policy management of maritime transport-related programs, including but not limited to maritime security; maritime safety; human element including maritime education and training; marine environmental protection; climate change, including matters relating to the decarbonization of shipping; facilitation of international maritime trade, among others," she said.
"My long and illustrious career spans maritime legislative drafting; strengthening and setting up maritime administrations not just in my home country Kenya, but also in Africa; seafarer capacity building and welfare as well as mentorship and empowerment of women in the maritime sector," Karigithu added.
She vowed to strengthen gender equality in the male-dominated maritime sector.
"As a champion for gender equality and balance, a role model, mentor, and champion for the integration of women in the maritime sector, I am committed to building on the foundation that IMO has already created in this regard, through providing strong leadership, consensus-building and inclusivity for the benefit of all," she said.
IMO is the United Nations' specialized agency responsible for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine and atmospheric pollution by ships. It is currently headed by Kitack Lim of the Republic of Korea.
Seven IMO Member States have each nominated a candidate for the post of secretary-general including Moin Uddin Ahmed of Bangladesh, Suat Hayri Aka of Turkey, Arsenio Antonio Velasco of Panama, Nancy Karigithu of Kenya, Minna Kivimäki of Finland, Zhang Xiaojie of China, and Dr. Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry of Dominica.
The election of the ninth secretary-general will take place at the IMO Headquarters in London, England on July 18, 2023, and the elected secretary-general will take office on Jan. 1, 2024.
