Event report
Breakfast Panel : "Green Shipping and Blue Trade: Unlocking a Sustainable Maritime Economy" with the French Embassy in Kenya
Exploring how sustainable maritime investment can strengthen regional integration, green shipping and the future of East Africa’s Blue Economy.
We were pleased to host a high-level breakfast panel, organised in partnership with the French Embassy in Kenya, ahead of the 11th Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa.
The session brought together key public and private sector stakeholders to discuss how maritime investment can drive a sustainable Blue Economy while strengthening regional trade, logistics and economic resilience.
We were honoured to welcome Naveen Prabhu, Managing Director East Africa at CMA CGM, Mohamed Golicha, General Manager Commercial Services at Kenya Ports Authority, and Dr. Olufunso Somorin, Regional Principal Officer at the African Development Bank Group (AfDB). The discussion was moderated by Domitille Guilloton, Executive Director of the French Chamber of Commerce in Kenya.
The conversation highlighted the Blue Economy as a major economic opportunity extending beyond maritime transport to include ports, fisheries, digital connectivity, green infrastructure and job creation. Speakers also emphasised the importance of accelerating regional integration through more seamless customs and logistics systems, while embedding sustainability into infrastructure projects from the outset.
Key examples shared included CMA CGM’s maritime skills development initiatives in Kenya, AfDB’s investments in digital connectivity infrastructure, and Kenya Ports Authority’s green port initiatives, including renewable energy generation, e-mobility and mangrove restoration programmes.
In his closing remarks, H.E. Arnaud Suquet, Ambassador of France to Kenya, reminded participants that France and Kenya are neighbours in the Indian Ocean through Mayotte and Réunion, and that there is only one ocean: a shared common good that must be both developed and protected.
We sincerely thank all our speakers, partners and participants for contributing to this timely and strategic conversation on the future of sustainable maritime development in East Africa.
