Inside the Kilifi Superyacht Scandal: Sniper Rifles, Rogue Agents, and a Ksh9.7B Luxury Vessel

Kenyan authorities have launched a high-level investigation into how a luxury foreign yacht, christened SALT, docked in Kilifi without proper clearance from the relevant government agencies.

The sleek 62-meter superyacht, registered under the British Virgin Islands flag, anchored off the Kilifi coast on Thursday afternoon, raising curiosity among the public. Its uniqueness in design and grandeur caught the public’s eye, but it also raised immediate attention from the top national security officials, including the Kenya Navy.

The vessel had departed Dubai with six passengers and a 20-strong crew on board. The passengers included four from Vanuatu and two from the Philippines, while the crew included nationals of the UK, Estonia, South Africa, Poland, Italy, Seychelles, and Romania.

Police sources said that the yacht had entered Kenyan waters illegally, as it was not cleared by the KPA. According to a police report, the vessel set sail from Oman, then passed through Dubai before heading to Kilifi. Although other agencies, including Port Health, Immigration, Customs, and the Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA) had cleared it, KPA had not received any formal notification or payment for its docking.

According to reports, during a thorough inspection by a multi-agency security team involving the Kilifi County Health Department, Customs, and Kenya Navy officers, authorities reportedly discovered four sniper rifles and hundreds of rounds of ammunition aboard the four-deck yacht, some boxed, others loose.

On Friday, Kilifi North Deputy County Commissioner Samuel Mutisya chaired a multi-agency meeting attended by officials from the Kenya Navy, Kenya Coast Guard, and other agencies. The meeting focused on verifying the yacht’s documentation and coordinating a comprehensive search.

A technical inspection of all four decks of the vessel followed later in the day, led by the Kenya Navy. However, officials reported that the search yielded no additional suspicious items beyond what had already been documented.

By Friday evening, Regional Police Commander Ali Nuno convened another meeting to discuss the yacht’s illegal entry and determine the next steps. A senior security officer who attended the meeting revealed that the passengers were a family on vacation, accompanied by their nannies.

“They had come for leisure and nothing more. Unfortunately, they fell into the hands of a rogue agent,” an officer, who requested anonymity, told the Nation.

According to the same source, the local clearing agent responsible for facilitating the yacht’s entry allegedly bypassed mandatory clearance procedures.

“He called immigration, customs, the hotel but deliberately avoided informing the police because he knew what he was doing,” the officer explained. “For any vessel landing, a fee of $6,000 is payable, but in this case, he was given $11,000 and never remitted it to the Kenya Ports Authority.”

They have also identified a Kenya Ports Authority officer who is suspected of working in tandem with the rogue agent, preliminary findings indicating that they maintained constant communication throughout the arrival and docking of the yacht.

Despite the irregularities, authorities permitted the yacht’s passengers and crew to proceed with their holiday in Kilifi as investigations continue. Security teams are now working to regularize the yacht’s documentation before it can be allowed to depart Kenyan waters.

By Sunday afternoon the vessel remained anchored off the coast. Built by CRN Yachts in 2020, SALT, previously known as Voice, is a Ksh9.7 billion superyacht, complete with world-class amenities and elegant interior designs that epitomize the height of private maritime luxury.

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