Four Kenyan seamen stranded aboard the vessel MV Saharla have reached out to the Kenyan Embassy in Muscat, Oman, pleading for assistance with their dire situation.

The men, who have not been paid for seven months, report being abandoned by their ship owner. The ship, registered in Bossaso, Somalia, with IMO number 7414212, is currently under the custody of the Omani Ministry of Transport.

The seamen, all hailing from Mombasa County, Kenya, are, Salim Nuru Mwamba, (AB Seaman), Idd Abdulrahman, (AB Seaman), Telä Hamisi Kuma, (Cook Seaman), and Omar Mwawema Mwalim, (AB Seaman)

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In an email addressed to the Kenyan Embassy in Muscat, Salim Nuru Mwamba, speaking on behalf of his colleagues, outlined their predicament. “The ship owner abandoned us, and we’re stuck here. We haven’t been paid for the past seven months. The ship is now under the Ministry of Transport of Oman,” he wrote.

The men are appealing for the embassy’s intervention to secure their unpaid salaries and facilitate their repatriation to Kenya. Their situation underscores the broader issue of seafarers’ rights and the often precarious conditions faced by those working in the maritime industry.

The plight of the MV Saharla crew has raised concerns about the treatment of seamen and the responsibilities of ship owners. Seafarers, particularly those from developing countries, frequently endure harsh working conditions, delayed or withheld wages, and abandonment in foreign ports.

The Kenyan Embassy in Muscat has been called upon to address this urgent matter, ensuring that the seamen receive their due wages and safe passage back home. This case also highlights the need for stricter enforcement of international maritime laws to protect the rights and welfare of seafarers globally.

As the situation unfolds, the affected seamen and their families back in Kenya await a resolution that will bring an end to their ordeal.