Mr Juvenal Shiundu, the first Kenyan Naval Architect, is a former Chairman of the Kenya National Shipping Line Limited and founder of the Maritime and Blue Economy Insights Limited (MARIBEI). He graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree in Naval Architecture and Shipbuilding from the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK in 1983 and with a Masters’ degree in Maritime Safety Administration (Marine Engineering) from the World Maritime University, Sweden, in 1986. He is an alumnus of the Ashridge Business School, UK and has attended many senior management and Leadership development courses worldwide. 

Mr Shiundu retired from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in December 2019 as the Director of the Technical Cooperation Division, having served in various senior roles for more than 22 years at its London Headquarters. He actively participated in all the preparatory meetings leading to Rio+20 as well as in the main Conference held in Rio de Janeiro in June 2012 and the subsequent meetings that resulted in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Blue Economy concept.     

Prior to joining IMO in 1997, Mr Shiundu was the General Manager of African Marine and General Engineering Company Limited, Mombasa, the largest Shipyard on the East African. He previously worked for the Kenya Ports Authority as Assistant Merchant Shipping Superintendent. Between 1990 and 1996, Mr. Shiundu carried out, on behalf of United Nations and the World Bank, many maritime related consultancy, and advisory assignments in Africa to assess, advice, inter alia, on physical facilities, concessioning, privatization and financing, training, and Regulatory aspects. 

Juvenal Shiundu has authored and contributed to numerous articles and publications, and resourced and moderated at many international conferences and seminars. He has also appeared as a key Expert Witness to some Commissions of Inquiries and courts involving maritime accidents, including the ferry MTONGWE in Mombasa. He initiated and formulated the concept paper and action plan for the (Railway line, Oil refinery, Oil pipeline, Lamu as Free Port) ROOLA project which later became the LAPSSET. He is featured in the Kenyan book “Life Journeys: Scaling Heights – Conversations with High Achieving Men in Kenya”, Footprints Press, 2011 and contributed the maritime feature in the book “50 Years since Independence: Where is Kenya”, 2013. 

He is a member of the Honourable Company of Master Mariners, the Maritime Operations and Management (MOaM) MSc Advisory Group of the City of London University and member of the Kenya Coast National Polytechnic East Africa Skills for Transformation & Regional Integration Project (EASTRIP) Industry Advisory Board. He retired as a Trustee of the Apostleship of the Sea (Great Britain) in 2018 after servicing on the Board for nine years and received Apostolic Blessing from the Holy Father Pope Francis for his services.  In December 2019, Mr Shiundu received the Freedom of the City of London Award in recognition of his services to international Diplomacy and Charitable causes.