•The fishermen were found in Kilifi, Wesa, Watamu, Ngomeni, Mayungu and Witu.
•They went fishing in Pemba on Wednesday last week and found themselves in Kenya on Friday
Image: ELIAS YAA
Over 100 fishermen from Tanzania were rescued in Kilifi after their boats were rocked by heavy winds during a fishing expedition in Pemba Island.
The 108 fishermen were rescued from different locations on the shores of the Indian Ocean in Kilifi and Lamu counties.
On Saturday, Kenya Coast Guard Services commander Glenn Majanga and the Tanzanian consular in Mombasa Athman Haji visited the Kilifi old ferry landing site where 54 of the fishermen are camping.
Majanga confirmed the 108 fishermen were on board 23 boats and said the government has launched investigations to establish circumstances under which they found their way into Kenya.
“All the fishermen claim to have been fishing in Tanzanian waters when the weather conditions worsened, visibility was poor and they could not navigate their course and hence drifted till they saw the Mombasa Cement mast in Takaungu and managed to sail towards it," Majanga said.
"The fishermen were extremely fatigued and two of them had to be rushed to Kilifi County Referral Hospital where they were treated and discharged. They remained isolated at the shore till the Kenya Coast Guard Service and Kenya Fisheries Service arrived,” said Majanga.
Twelve boats were found in Kilifi with 54 crew members, three boats with 14 crew members were found in Watamu while one boat was found in Ngomeni, Mtwapa, Malindi, Uyombo, Wesa and Mayungu with five fishermen each.
Two boats were found in Kipini with 10 people on board.
Mbaruk Juma Mbaruk who spoke on behalf of the fishermen said it was by God’s grace that they were alive since the tides were so high that their boats risked capsizing.
“We left home on Wednesday at 4am at Vuto Island in Wende. The situation became bad as the tides were very high and we could not manage our boats at all. We decided to allow the boats to control us and we found ourselves in Kenya. We arrived in different times, others arrived at 11 am others at 4pm,” Mbaruk said.
Kenya Red Cross and Kilifi residents mobilised food and clothes for the fishermen.
Majanga said the fishermen were found with six-inch gill nets which are within regulations but they did not have proper personal identification documents as required.
“KCGS in its multi-agency approach is now working with other stakeholders to investigate the reasons that drift into our waters, weather conditions or any other reason,” he said.
Haji in consultation with Kenyan authorities said the fishermen will travel immediately to Tanga by road as they do not have documents to allow them to stay in Kenya.
“I want to give thanks to the Kenyan government on behalf of the Government of Tanzania for rescuing our people. In their current position, they do not have documents that will allow them to stay in Kenya or travel to any other part. Some of their equipment are in good condition and they can use them to go back but we cannot allow them due to the high tides, which will be risking their lives again,” he said.
He said transport plans from Tanga to Zanzibar had already been made.
“They are being awaited by Tanzanian officers in Tanga where they will leave tomorrow for Pemba. They will leave behind their equipment and they will themselves make arrangements to get permits to come for them when the sea is calm,” said Haji.
Chairperson Kilifi Boats Operators Associations Captain Issa Shallo said currents at this time are moving at high speed towards Somalia during the monsoon winds, which is challenging to fishermen.