The Kenyan government is set to issue internationally recognized Seafarer Identification Documents (SID) to citizens within the next three months. This move was confirmed by Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang before the National Assembly Diaspora Affairs and Migrant Workers Committee.

• A sample SID card has been sent to the International Labour Organization (ILO) for approval, with feedback already incorporated into a revised version.
• PS Kipsang stated that live capture units for biometric enrollment of seafarers have been procured, and the system will be customized to align with Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA) business processes.
• Unlike the domestic National ID, the SID will serve as an international travel document for seafarers. Remaining tasks include completing the Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) audit and certification by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and acquiring servers for the seafarers’ database at both KMA and the National Registration Bureau (NRB).