Ambassador Nancy Karigithu, Special Envoy for Maritime and Blue Economy. Ambassador Karigithu serves as Kenya's Special Envoy for Maritime and Blue Economy. Previously, she held the position of Principal Secretary (PS) at the Department of Shipping and Maritime Affairs within the Ministry of Blue Economy, Mines, and Maritime Affairs. She currently serves as an Advisor on Blue Economy at the Executive Office of the President. Ambassador Karigithu holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Nairobi and a Master's in International Maritime Law from the International Maritime Law Institute of IMO in Malta. Before her appointment as PS, she served as the Director-General (DG) of the Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA) for nine years. She also chaired the Technical Cooperation Committee of the IMO for three terms and currently sits on the Board of the World Maritime University (WMU) in Malmo, Sweden, as well as the International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI) of IMO. She was admitted to the Kenyan Bar in 1984 and has 38 years of experience, including 34 in the maritime sector. As the first DG of KMA, she led the update of the national legal framework for maritime activities in Kenya, advising the government on maritime matters. Her previous work experience includes numerous consultancy missions for the IMO in Africa, the East African Community, and the African Union (AU). Between 2004 and 2005, she worked as an Expert in Maritime Transport at the African Union, involved in supporting governments in creating and strengthening independent maritime administrations. She initiated the creation and launch of the Women in the Maritime Sector of Eastern and Southern Africa (WOMESA), the first regional organization bringing together women professionals from 26 countries in Eastern and Southern Africa, advocating for the integration of women in the industry. Ambassador Karigithu organized the first Conference of Heads of Maritime Administrations and Ship Registrars in Africa, which has since become the Association of Maritime Administrations in Africa (AAMA). In line with Article 5 of the African Maritime Transport Charter, AAMA brings together all Maritime Administrations in Africa to collaborate on capacity building, technology, peer-to-peer standards setting, and information sharing. She previously worked as a legal expert for the European Union's "Critical Maritime Routes Project," aimed at improving maritime situational awareness in the waters of the western Indian Ocean and enhancing security, safety, and environmental protection. Recently, she advocated for the development of the "IMO Guidelines for the Prevention and Repression of Wildlife Smuggling on Ships Engaged in International Maritime Traffic," adopted at the 46th session of the IMO's FAL Committee in May 2022. Ambassador Karigithu has campaigned for the decarbonization of the maritime sector in Africa and recently chaired the Steering Committee of MTCC-Africa, a EU/IMO partnership aimed at enhancing greenhouse gas emission reduction capabilities in the continent's maritime sector. In recognition of her distinguished service in the international maritime sector, the World Maritime University awarded Ambassador Karigithu an honorary membership on November 3, 2019, in Malmo, Sweden. In 2022, Ambassador Karigithu was included in the 13th edition of Lloyd's List of the 100 most influential people in the global maritime industry. This recognition follows her nomination as the Most Influential Businesswoman and Government Woman in Africa by Global CEO Magazine in 2017, as well as her appointment by the President of the African Union as Woman of the Year in November 2018.
