Kenyan seafarers stuck in Tanzania

 Youth hopeful of seafarer jobs aboard the Jonas Vessel at the Port of Mombasa. Seafarers are crying for better pay. [Omondi Onyango, Standard]

Nine Kenyan seafarers are stuck in Kilwa, Tanzania, after their fishing vessel was impounded by authorities over alleged human trafficking.

The Seafarers Union of Kenya (SUK) stated that the Kenyan-flagged fishing vessel Sea Mfalme was seized on March 30 this year, with nine Kenyan seafarers on board, and they are currently stranded under difficult conditions.

SUK general secretary Ms Atie Ramadhan yesterday appealed to the Cabinet Secretary for Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs Hassan Joho and his Foreign and Diaspora Affairs counterpart Musalia Mudavadi to intervene and secure the release of the nine seafarers.

The Kenyans are ship master Frank Mbotela, chief engineer Spatuel Mwachari, cook Tela Vihiri, able bodied Said Juma  Hamisi, deckhands Moses Mungai, Francis Lushango, and Mwinyi Faki, and oilers Tengeza Hamisi and Juma Rashid Tabb.

The vessel, which left Mombasa on March 14 this year, also had chief mate Zaidou Ali from the Union of Comoros.

“We are appealing for government intervention to secure the release of the Kenyan seafarers. We are also urging Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA) to intensify inspection of vessels and seafarers’ recruiting agents,” she said.

Ms Mariam Shee, wife of Said Juma Hamisi, said the family has been in agony since it received news of his detention in Tanzania on April 1 this year.

“I am appealing to CS Joho to come to his rescue. We had expected him to come home soon and provide school fees, but we do not know what to do,” she said.

Mr Dominic Makau, a seafarer who was recently stranded on board FV Kivu 2, among others, at Mnarani in Kilifi county over pay, said they are yet to be paid their four-month salaries after they left the vessel following their employer's pledge to settle the bill.

“We worked on the vessel for five months and disembarked on March 18, this year, after being paid peanuts and promised to be paid the balance, but we have yet to be paid,” he said.

He said when they got stranded on board the vessel, they relied on relief aid from the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) and the Stella Maris charitable organisation.

Meanwhile, Ms Ramadhan urged the government to intervene and compel several fishing vessels operating on Kenyan waters to pay workers and comply with labour regulations.

Ms Ramadhan said many fishing ships, some owned by influential individuals in the country, either pay their workers poorly or refuse to pay them.

“There are even those who have stopped their employees from joining this union and subjected them to poor pay. As we head to Labour Day, I appeal to the Central Organisation of Trade Unions secretary general, Francis Atwoli, and the president to intervene and ensure the ship owners comply with the labour regulations,” she said.

She also urged the government to ensure that SUK was fully involved in the training and recruitment of seafarers in the country to ensure their interests are addressed.