Ambassador Nancy Karigithu will today launch her bid for the International Maritime Organization (IMO) secretary general post.
Karigithu, who is currently the special envoy for shipping and blue economy, has already received an endorsement from President William Ruto.
“With experience spanning over 30 years in the maritime sector, Karigithu is an accomplished expert with a proven commitment to the cause of global maritime interests,” Ruto said on May 6.
Kenya secured the endorsement of the African Union for her candidature during the High-Level Mid-Year Coordination Meeting in Lusaka, Zambia, in mid-July, 2022.
The election will take place at IMO headquarters in London on July 18, 2023.
She will use the opportunity to explain her agenda and vision if elected to head the powerful World body.
Foreign affairs cabinet secretary Alfred Mutua together with his mining counterpart Salim Mvurya are among the guests expected to grace the occasion at KICC in Nairobi.
IMO is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for regulating shipping.
The IMO was established following an agreement at a UN conference held in Geneva in 1948 and the IMO came into existence ten years later, meeting for the first time in 1959.
Karigithu is a world-renowned maritime expert who has been an active leader and a consequential voice in promoting the objectives of the IMO dedicated to safety, security and environmental protection in the maritime industry.
Among the areas she will be in charge of include ship design, construction, equipment, manning, operation and disposal – to ensure that this vital sector remains safe, environmentally sound, energy-efficient and secure.
