RI sailors stranded in Kenya

JAKARTA: As many as 26 Indonesian sailors have been left stranded for eight months at Kilindini port near the Kenyan port city of Mombasa, Indonesian Marine Watch (IMW) reported.

IMW spokesman Gabriel D. Sola told Antara the sailors had been living without jobs, income and housing, while their employer refused to bring them home.

"The government, in this case the Ministry of Transportation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Manpower, need to take swift action because the sailors have been waiting for a long time without certainty," Gabriel said.

The sailors worked on MV Jelita, a vessel that flies the Indonesian flag and belongs to Jakarta-based firm PT Leno Ownerindo Lines.

Stormy weather left the ship stranded in Somalian waters in the middle of October last year. It was tugged to Kilindini by a rescue vessel after its owner agreed on the payment.

But the owner broke his promise, prompting the Mombasa district court to auction the ship as it was not covered by insurance.

Gabriel said the Indonesian Embassy in Nairobi has sent three of the sailors to Jakarta to settle the matter with the shipping company. -- Antara