Union Wants Government to Bailout Stranded Seamen in Oman
Seafarers Union of Kenya (SUK) Atie Swaleh Ramadhan (Photo By Mwakwaya Raymond)
By Harrison Kivisu
Email, thecoastnewspaper@gmail.com
Seafarers Union of Kenya (SUK) has appealed to the government to help in the repatriation of four Kenyans stranded at the Port of Duqm in the Sultanate of Oman.
The four were on board a ship, MV-Saharla of IMO registration no 7414212 that is now held at Oman’s port after its owner at Asyad Dockyard in the Middle East nation abandoned it.
SUK secretary general Atie Swaleh Ramadan said her union had received disturbing reports from the four Kenyans and two Tanzanian nationals who are in a dire need for assistance. The Kenyans are from Likoni Subcounty of Mombasa County.
According to SUK the crew have overstayed in the ship for one-year-and-six-months and not paid their wages for the last seven months, thus, left to fend for themselves.
“From the information received there are four Kenyans and two Tanzanian nationals abandoned by ship owners and left to fend for themselves, this is clear abuse of maritime labour convention 2006 to which Kenya is a signatory,” she said.
The victims are Salim Nuru Mwamba (Rank AB seaman), Idd Abdurahman (RANK AB seaman), Tella Hamisi (cook) and Omar Mwawema Mwalim (Rank AB seaman).
“We are four Kenyans here aboard vessel MVF Saharla registered in Bossaso Somalia. We are seamen from Mombasa County, Kenya, and the ship owner abandoned us and we haven’t been paid for the last seven months. The ship is now under Ministry of Transport of Oman. We are appealing to the Embassy of Kenya to help us get home safely…” read part of Salim Mwamba’s distress appeal.
Through a letter, SUK has written a formal appeal to engage relevant government agencies to save the Kenyans or they will continue to suffer in foreign land without any substantial aid.
The letter dated July 19, 2024 was copied to the Ministry of Labour, the principal secretary Maritime Affairs, the Ministry of Immigration, International Transport Federation (ITF) inspector Kenya.
“We are appealing to the government to also tighten the belt in the regulation of recruitment agencies, some of them are illegally operating and transporting Kenyans without the involvement of the union, if the law is followed they will not witness such cases.“
The union is concerned that there are more seafarers working overseas that are not its members, thus, risking to be violated by unscrupulous employers.
She appealed to the government to solve the job stalemate to ensure Kenyan seamen work in the local shipping companies where their welfare is protected.
Currently, SUK has only 3,658 registered members while over 5,000 seamen working outside the country are yet to join the union for monitoring and representation in cases of emergencies like that has befallen the Kenyans in Oman.
