RV MTAFITI

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Auctioneer wants the 'Mtafiti' to be sold

An auctioneer wants the 'Mtafiti' to be sold to raise Sh81 million owed to a former Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (Kemfri) boss. The vessel, which was donated by Belgium to the research institute about five years ago, was valued at hundreds of millions of shillings. Ezekiel Okemwo, a former managing director at Kemfri, was awarded Sh33 million in salary arrears and Sh20 million in damages for unlawful sacking, plus 14 per cent interest following a successful petition at the Labour court against his dismissal. Initially, Prof Okemwo was sacked and charged for theft in 1999 but was acquitted in 2012, upon which he sued for damages after KEMFRI declined to reinstate him. He went to the Labour Court in 2012 for a declaration of wrongfully dismissal, and sought to be paid his withheld salary. He won the case in 2016. The institute appealed and lost. Prof Okemwo went to the Labour Court for orders to execute the decree issued in 2016. The orders were issued on Jan 29. 2020. In seeking the execution orders, Okemwo accused Kemfri of refusing to pay him. He sought an order to auction the institute's property to recover the monies. Last week, the court approved the decree to seize and sell Kemfri's property to pay the debt. Mombasa-based Auckland auctioneers have also identified heavy laboratory equipment, motor vehicles, the research ship 'Utafiti' in Kisumu and office furniture for seizure if the institute fails to obey the court order to pay Okemwo. The auctioneer, acting on Mombasa deputy registrar's order, has given the institute 14 days from Jan 29 to settle the award to Okemwo, or face the auctioneer’s hammer. If Kemfri fails to pay Sh81.9 million after 14 days, the auction will take place by way of attachment and sale by public auction of the defendants movable property, office goods, the research vessels, heavy laboratory equipment and motor vehicles in Mombasa and other stations in the country,. Okemwo was awarded the amount by Justice James Rika in 2012 after he moved to court accusing the institute of failing to reinstate him following the determination of the criminal case against the State. In his case before the Labour Court, Okemwo complained that the institute had accused him of committing criminal acts, which they failed to prove.

Kenya's sole ocean research ship gets new equipment

Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Willy Bett will on Sept. 12 launch new state-of-the-art equipment installed on board Kenya's first oceanographic survey vessel at the Port of Mombasa. According to a statement from the Kenya Marine & Fisheries Research Institute (Kemfri), the CS will also flag off a special expedition cruise for Kenyan marine scientists and equipment manufacturers to appraise themselves on the use of the new gadgets. RV Mtafiti has been fitted with equipment that will transform marine research in the Indian Ocean and generate information to guide the sustainable exploitation of marine resources within Kenyas' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The ceremony will take place at the Southern Engineering Company (Seco) dockyards within the Mombasa port. One of the devices is a Fisheries Acoustic Eco-sounder, which has the capacity to detect fish densities at depth and distribution along the Kenyan coast. Read more at: http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2000215577/kenya-s-sole-ocean-research-ship-gets-new-equipment

Kenya: Fisheries Dept Acquires Research Vessel

Nairobi — The Department of Fisheries has acquired a 56.6 metre long scientific research vessel, MTAFITI, the first of its kind in the region. The vessel will be operated by the Kenya Marine Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) to carry out marine studies in the Indian 0cean. The vessel was donated to Kenya by the Belgian government. Receiving the vessel at the Kenya Navy Mkunguni Jetty in Mombasa, Principal Secretary Department of Fisheries Micheni Ntiba said the vessel will be deployed to conduct fisheries research and management of Kenya's 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) by providing adequate and timely information on fish stocks and oceanographic data. More to read at http://allafrica.com/stories/201311050111.html