Lack of English skills locks youth out of maritime jobs

Why are Kenyans obsessed with the colonial English language? This is a question many Coast scholars are asking after Shipping and Maritime Principal Secretary Nancy Karigithu said lack of basic English language skills inhibits the chances of locals getting jobs in foreign shipping lines.

While marking World Maritime Day on September 24, Ms Karigithu said there are numerous job opportunities in the sector, but the youth are hindered by lack of basic English communication skills. Speaking on a local TV station, she urged the youth to gain English language skills to be employable.

“I keep emphasizing and sometimes I have been misunderstood, but as a youth you must have communication skills. You must be able to speak and be understood by the person you are addressing. You must be able to understand what you are being told because if you are on a ship and you cannot take instructions properly, it affects the safety and sustainability,” stressed the PS.

“This is a very serious issue and the youth must cultivate English speaking skills. Sheng and Whatsapp emojis do not apply. English is the global language of the maritime sector,” she said.

Unless the youth are able to cultivate proper English skills, the PS said they will continue to miss out on lucrative jobs in the blue economy.

Mrs Karigithu said since last year, she had been involved in interviewing and recruiting ship crew in Mombasa for foreign shipping lines but she was surprised that the jobseekers could not express themselves in English during interviews.

“There is nothing as sad as seeing a student with the right skills and certificates but when they are put to the English test, they fail. This saddens me. The government has started projects to give the youth jobs,” she added.

Writing English properly

“Let’s back to reading. Read books. Let us practice speaking and writing English properly,” she added.

But, her remarks irked Coast scholars and other experts in the maritime sector.

Coast scholars led by Philip Mbaji said Kiswahili is as important as English.

“That is just a stereotype. As a PS in charge of maritime, a coastal resource, she should desist from making such remarks. We have senior Coast learned individuals. Her assertions are deliberate efforts to sideline coastal people from jobs. It is prejudice," Mr Mbaji asked.

Pwani University sociologist Halim Shauri said English is not a determining factor for employment.

“English is a colonial language just like Prof Ngugi wa Thiong’o has been stressing. We must decolonise our mindsets. Is English used in cooking? Serving food? That is marginalisation and discrimination of coast people,” Prof Shauri said.

“Kiswahili is growing rapidly in Africa, many countries have adopted it. Kiswahili is our national language, we should embrace it,” he said.

Maritime expert Andrew Mwagura said the PS should enforce the introduction of an English language unit in all colleges training seafarers.

500,000 jobs

“Technical University of Mombasa is the only institution offering the unit. The unit teaches seafarers how to communicate, they have their own distinct language,” he added.

Logistics businessman Fauz Khalid asked why many locals work in the Middle East if they lacked English skills.

“Or do they speak Kiswahili while in Dubai? This is just political. Many youth have done courses in maritime but they lack jobs. I can get her 20 youth who have studied maritime,” Mr Khalid said adding that the recruitment is always shrouded with secrecy.

The PS said there are more than 500,000 jobs up for grabs in the sector.

Maritime expert Mr Yussuf Mwinyi, who is engaged in a program to increase the employability of youth in maritime studies in Tanzania and Mozambique, said Kenyans should stop obsession with English.

“Fluency in English has not been amongst the criteria we seek to improve. Proficient enough to read and answer, not fluency. Tanzania has a vibrant maritime school and Zanzibar has most skilled but undocumented seafarers. If anything, the Comorians get employed because of ability to read basic Arabic and understand and not speak fluently,” said Mr Mwinyi

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