Three Kenyans who were arrested and sent to a Madagascar jail for more than four months have been released and are back in Kenya safely,ย the Ministry of Mining, and Blue Economy ย has revealed.[โฆ]CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLEโถ
The three, Mbarak Awadh Mbarak (26), Mohammed Bakari Abass (50), and Karisa Gona Nguma (32), were released after the Blue Economy Ministry, Kenya Maritime Agency and other human rights bodies intervened. The fishermen had been arrested on July 9, 2024, while fishing in foreign waters.
The trio were arrested alongside five Sri Lankan nationals. They were allegedly found in possession of over five tonnes of fresh and salted shark meat as well as 70 kilograms of shark fins, a prized catch in illegal fishing operations.
According to Kenya Fisheries Service Director Daniel Mungai, the Ministry faced difficulties in facilitating their release faster after the three were arrested in foreign waters without documents.
The Blue Economy and Fisheries Cabinet Secretary Ali Hassan Joho had to intervene for them to be released.
Acting Director General of Kenya Maritime Agency Julius Koech also revealed that the case was in court, blocking the Kenyan Government from intervening promptly.
While recounting the moment they were in jail, the three narrated the ugly ordeal they underwent in the foreign land ranging from lack of food and other basic requirements away from home. One of the fishermenโs fathers, however, expressed gratitude to Joho for his role in securing the release of the three men.
Following the unfortunate ordeal, the Kenyan Government is now looking for a better way to ensure that Kenyan fishermen are working within the Kenyan waters and have proper documentation.
According to reports, the trio fell into the trap of unscrupulous recruitment agencies who are luring local fishermen with promises of well-paying jobs on foreign vessels, particularly in the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
Their hope of finding greener pastures was squashed after the captain of the vessel they boarded steered them into the deep Indian Ocean waters, forcing them to fish in foreign waters. They were unfortunately arrested after it was realised that their fishing license only allowed them to fish in Kenyan waters.
Since they had been arrested in July, their families tirelessly called upon the Kenyan Government to intervene for their releaseโฆCLICK HERE TO READ MORE ARTICLES>>>
