Freed Ukrainian ship limps towards Mombasa

By Philip Mwakio And Maureen Mudi

The Ukrainian ship, MV Faina, laden with military hardware released by Somali pirates after five months has entered Kenyan territorial waters but has been slowed down by a bad engine.

Security sources have told The Standard that the ship was limping towards Mombasa after one of its engines failed.

"She is already within Kenyan territory somewhere in the sea near Lamu but is on one engine after the second one malfunctioned," a security source at the port of Mombasa told The Standard.

The scenic Mama Ngina Drive that lies near the entrance to Kenya’s deepest natural harbour, Kilindini, was busy despite being a weekday on Monday.

Scores of Mombasa residents eager to catch a glimpse of the vessel whose capture made international news headlines last September have been flocking the vantage point.

Mr Osborne Odhiambo, a commercial photographer based at Mama Ngina Drive, said several of his regular clients had made orders of pictures of the vessel as it arrives.

"Clients known to me and new ones have approached me requesting that I capture Mv Faina as she enters Mombasa port. It is an exercise I am waiting to fulfill to finality," he said.

Mv Faina is loaded with 33 T-72 Russian battle tanks, rocket-propelled grenade launchers and anti-aircraft guns.

Somali pirates released the ship on Thursday after a ransom of Sh250 million was paid.

Navy officers who spoke on condition of anonymity said that police and senior officials in Government are expected to board the vessel outside the Kilindini channel for inspection and other formalities before the navy takes over from the US marines escorting it.

Meanwhile, the State has failed to produce enough witnesses in a case in which a maritime official is alleged to have issued alarming statements over the arms on the ship.

This follows the prosecution’s admission before a Mombasa court that the case against Andrew Mwangura, the East Africa Seafarers’ Assistance Program coordinator, could not proceed due to lack of witnesses.

In the case, Mwangura is accused of issuing alarming statements over the hijacking of MV Faina. Mwangura was also accused of possession of bhang.