Exhibit 31.1
                    CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER


In connection with the filing of the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the
quarter ended June 30, 2003 by Kirby Corporation, Joseph H. Pyne, President and
Chief Executive Officer, certifies that:

    1.  I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Kirby Corporation
        (the "Company");

    2.  Based on my knowledge, this quarterly report does not contain any
        untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact
        necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances
        under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to
        the period covered by this quarterly report;

    3.  Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
        information included in this quarterly report, fairly present in all
        material respects the financial condition, results of operations and
        cash flows of the Company as of, and for, the periods presented in this
        quarterly report;

    4.  The Company's other certifying officer and I are responsible for
        establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as
        defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(d) and 15d-15(e)) for the Company
        and we have:

        a)  Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such
            disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our
            supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the
            Company, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to
            us by others within those entities, particularly during the period
            in which this quarterly report is being prepared;

        b)  Evaluated the effectiveness of the Company's disclosure controls
            and procedures and presented in this quarterly report our
            conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and
            procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report
            based on such evaluation; and

        c)  Disclosed in this quarterly report any change in the Company's
            internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the
            Company's most recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected,
            or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company's
            internal control over financial reporting; and

    5.  The Company's other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on
        our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial
        reporting, to the Company's auditors and the audit committee of the
        Company's board of directors:

        a)  All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design
            or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are
            reasonably likely to adversely affect the Company's ability to
            record, process, summarize and report financial information; and



        b)  Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or
            other employees who have a significant role in the Company's
            internal control over financial reporting.


                                    /s/ JOSEPH H. PYNE
                                    -----------------------------------------
                                    Joseph H. Pyne
                                    President and Chief Executive Officer


Dated:  August 12, 2003

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