This archive report was first published on 11 July 2019.
Kenya: Kenyans Forced to Work Under Gunpoint on Somali Vessel ¶
Published on July 11, 2019
Seventeen Kenyan fishermen, including 15 who were hired in April 2019, are being held against their will on a Somali fishing vessel, the FV Marwan 1, in deplorable conditions.
According to Betty Makena, an officer with the East Africa International Transport Workers' Federation, the fishermen were recruited by an unlicensed agent in Mombasa and are being forced to work long hours without pay.
Ms. Makena received a distress call from the fishermen, who sent her pictures and details of their sufferings, including injuries and lack of medical care.
"The fishermen got my contact from some of their colleagues who they interact with and sent me the details and the pictures on their sufferings. Majority of them are sick and they need urgent medical attention," Ms. Makena said.
The fishermen claim that their employer is threatening them with a gun if they resist working long hours.
Ms. Makena is calling for help to return the fishermen home safely.
