Three Kenyan fishermen, lured by the promise of higher wages, unknowingly boarded a vessel that led them into foreign detention. Their journey, which began as a routine fishing trip off the Kenyan coast, has turned into a harrowing ordeal, leaving their families in turmoil and the men languishing in a foreign detention center.
The fishermen, aged between 26 and 50, had been recruited by a local agency offering Sh40,000 monthly salaries, a significant sum for coastal fishermen. Tempted by the offer, they agreed, unaware that the Sri Lankan captain they would work under had clandestine plans to sail far beyond Kenya’s jurisdiction.
The vessel, registered under a Kenyan flag, sailed deep into international waters of the Indian Ocean, far from where the fishermen were legally permitted to operate. Only when they were arrested off the coast of Madagascar, found with tonnes of illegal shark products, did they realize the magnitude of their predicament.
Their families back in Kenya are desperate, having heard little from them since their detainment. The fishermen are currently held in Nosy Be Island’s notorious colonial-era detention center, sharing cells with some of Madagascar’s most dangerous criminals. Overcrowded conditions, limited food, and the constant fear of violence have made their detention unbearable.
Despite reaching out to various government agencies, the families have received no clear support from Kenyan authorities. The Kenya Maritime Authority, Kenya Fisheries Service, and other relevant bodies remain unresponsive. Even attempts to get help through Mozambique, the nearest point of contact for Kenyan officials, have stalled.
As the men prepare for yet another uncertain court appearance in Madagascar, their fate hangs in the balance, with no guarantee of when, or if, they will return home. Their case highlights the growing issue of labor exploitation in Kenya’s maritime industry, where recruitment agencies lure workers into dangerous conditions, with little to no oversight.
