A license can only be granted to a maritime service provider (comprising local shipping lines, port/terminal operators and other auxiliary services)  who is a citizen, or in case of a company, where 51% of the share capital is held directly by a Kenyan.
"2. Interpretation
In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires— [...]
“foreign ship” means a ship not registered in Kenya;
“foreign going ship” means a ship employed in voyages beyond the limits of a local trade voyage; [...]
“Kenyan ship” means a ship registered in Kenya under this Act, and “Kenyan vessel” and “Kenyan fishing vessel” shall be construed accordingly;[...]
“local voyage” means a voyage between the mainland and the mainland and any of the islands or between any of those islands;
“maritime service provider” means any person providing in the maritime industry the service of crewing agencies, pilotage services, clearing and forwarding agents, port facility operator, shipping line, shipping agent, terminal operator, container freight station, quay side service provider, general ship contractor, ship broker, ship breaker, ship chandler, cargo consolidator, ship repairer, maritime training or such other service as the Cabinet Secretary may, by notice in the Gazette, appoint;
[...]
PART III – RESTRICTION ON TRADING
14. Restriction on trading in Kenyan waters
(1) A ship shall not trade in or from the waters of Kenya unless the ship—
(a) is a Kenyan ship; or
(b) has a certificate of foreign registry.
(2) Subject to the provisions of any regulation or any treaty or agreement with any foreign Government, only Kenyan ships may be engaged in any local trade in Kenyan waters.
(3) The Cabinet Secretary may make regulations to provide for the circumstances under which foreign ships may engage in local trade in Kenyan waters.
[...]
PART IV – REGISTRATION AND LICENSING OF SHIPS
Registration
17. Kenyan ship
(1) A ship shall be regarded as a Kenyan ship for the purposes of this Act if the ship is registered in Kenya under this Part.
(2) A ship shall be registered as a Kenyan ship if it is— (a) of 24 metres or more; (b) owned by persons qualified to own a Kenyan ship; and (c) not exempted from registration.
18.Qualifications for owning Kenyan ship
(1) Subject to section 50, a ship shall not be registered in Kenya under this Act unless the ship is owned wholly by persons qualified to own a Kenyan ship, namely—
(a) the Government; (b) nationals of Kenya; (c) corporation registered in Kenya; (d) individuals or corporations owning ships hired out on bareboat charter to nationals of Kenya; (e) individuals or corporations in bona fide joint venture shipping enterprise relationships with nationals of Kenya as may be prescribed; (f) such other persons as the Cabinet Secretary may by order determine.
[...]
81. Declaration of transfer
Where a registered ship or a share therein is transferred in accordance with section 80(1), the transferee shall not be entitled to be registered as owner thereof until he, or, in the case of a body corporate, the person authorised by this Act to make declarations on behalf of the body corporate, has made and signed a declaration (in this Act called “declaration of transfer”) referring to the ship, and
containing—
(a) a statement of the qualification of the transferee to own a Kenyan ship, or if the transferee is a body corporate, of such circumstances of the constitution and business thereof as prove it to be qualified to own a Kenyan ship; and
(b) declaration that, to the best of his knowledge and belief, a majority interest in the ship is owned by persons qualified to be owners of Kenyan ships, and the ship is otherwise entitled to be registered. [...]" (Merchant Shipping Act No 4 of 2009, as amended)
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"5.  Qualifications for licensing 
(1)  A person shall be eligible to be licensed as a maritime service provider if such person is a citizen of Kenya, or is a company incorporated under the Companies Act Cap. 486) in which not less than fifty-one per cent of the share capital is held directly by a citizen of Kenya.
[...]
FIRST SCHEDULE [Regulation 2(1)(a).] - MARITIME SERVICE PROVIDERS AND THEIR SCOPE OF SERVICE 
1.  Ships agent services shall include— (a) all procedures relating to a vessel’s entry and departure, pilotage and berthing; (b) the provision of port services through port operators, customs and other government agencies, firms or private individuals; [...]
2.  Cargo consolidator services shall include— (a) the purchasing of transportation services from a carrier and offering such services for resale to other persons; [...]
3.  Container freight station services shall include— (a) the storage of containerized and non-containerized cargo, empty containers, imported motor vehicles; [...]
4.  Shipping line services shall include— (a) the offering of scheduled liner services for cargo carriage; [...]
5.  Empty container depot services shall include the— (a) receipt and temporary storage of empty containers [...]
6.  Port facility operator services shall include— (a) vessel traffic service; (b) provision of pilotage; [...]
7.  Clearing and forwarding agent services shall include— (a) receiving advance notification of shipments, or other documents to banks, shippers or consignees as required; (b) preparing and processing of import and export declarations [...]" (MERCHANT SHIPPING (MARITIME SERVICE PROVIDERS) REGULATIONS, 2011)
Merchant Shipping Act No 4 of 2009, as amended
MERCHANT SHIPPING (MARITIME SERVICE PROVIDERS) REGULATIONS, 2011
[<a href="http://www.kenyalaw.org:8181/exist/kenyalex/actview.xql?actid=CAP.%20389">Act</a>],[<a href="https://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/ken106283.pdf">Reg</a>]