THREE KENYANS CALLED A NAIROBI-BASED SEAFARER'S GROUP TO SAY THEY HAD BEEN KIDNAPPED IN IRAQ AFTER THE SHIP THEY HAD STOWED AWAY ON DUMPED THEM IN THE WAR-RAVAGED COUNTRY, A MARITIME OFFICIAL SAID ON FRIDAY, REUTERS REPORTED. "WE DON'T KNOW WHAT CONDITION THEY ARE IN," SAID ANDREW MWANGURA, OF THE SEAFARERS ASSISTANCE PROGRAMME, WHICH REPRESENTS SAILORS IN EAST AFRICA. "WHENEVER YOU'RE IN CAPTIVITY, YOU CAN MAKE FRIENDS WITH YOUR CAPTORS. I GUESS THEY MADE FRIENDS WITH THEIR CAPTORS AND THAT WAS HOW THEY WERE ABLE TO CALL US," MWANGURA SAID. THE THREE DID NOT OFFER ANY DETAILS ABOUT THEIR ABDUCTION OR WHETHER THE KIDNAPPERS WERE DEMANDING RANSOM, MWANGURA SAID. AT LEAST 27 KENYANS ILLEGALLY BOARDED SHIPS LAST YEAR FLEEING ECONOMIC HARDSHIP IN A COUNTRY WHERE MORE THAN HALF LIVE ON LESS THAN $1 A DAY, MWANGURA SAID. FOUR OTHER KENYANS INCLUDING TWO STOWAWAYS ARE ALSO BEING HELD IN IRAQ. MWANGURA ADDED THAT THE FAMILY MEMBERS AND KENYA'S FOREIGN MINISTRY HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED.
