A multi-agency security team has intensified investigations into the events that led to a foreign yacht, christened SALT, docking in Kilifi without following legal procedures.
The yacht, currently registered under the flag of the British Virgin Islands, drew significant public attention due to its unique structure when it docked in Kilifi on Thursday afternoon. However, unbeknownst to the public, the vessel had also attracted the attention of top national security bosses including from the Kenya Navy.
Information obtained by the Nation shows that the yacht had arrived from Dubai with six passengers and 20 crew members. Four passengers were Vanuatu nationals, while two were from the Philippines. The crew comprised individuals of different nationalities, including from the United Kingdom, Estonia, South Africa, Poland, Italy, Seychelles, and Romania.
The luxury yacht, christened SALT, which docked near the Kilifi Custom office in Kilifi town on November 6, 2025.
Photo credit: Maureen Ongala | Nation Media Group
According to police, the yacht was in the country illegally since there was no notice of its arrival. A police report stated that the four-deck yacht, which departed from Oman, then went to Dubai, and finally to Kilifi, was not cleared by the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) as required. However, it was cleared by the Port Health Department, Immigration, Customs, and the Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA).
During the inspection of the yacht by a multi-agency team comprising security personnel, the Kilifi County Health Department, and Customs, four sniper rifles were found with hundreds of rounds of ammunition, some boxed and others loose.
On Friday, Kilifi North Deputy County Commissioner, Samuel Mutisya, chaired a multi-agency security meeting attended by officers from the Kenya Navy and Kenya Coast Guard among other agencies. The meeting focused on the technical search and verification of the yacht’s documents.
Led by officers from the Kenya Navy, the team later searched all four decks. However, the report stated that nothing suspicious was found inside the vessel.
On Friday evening, the multi-agency security team, led by Regional Police Commander Ali Nuno, convened another meeting to discuss the vessel and its illegality in the country. A senior security officer privy to the discussions disclosed that the passengers were a family on holiday and their nannies.
“They had come for leisure and nothing more. Unfortunately, they fell into the hands of a rogue agent,” said the officer, who requested anonymity for lacking authority to comment publicly on the matter.
According to the officer, the local agent responsible for obtaining clearance for the vessel did not inform all other agencies mandated to give landing authority.
“He called immigration, customs, the hotel; he did not want the police around because he knew what he was doing. He did all that deliberately because he knows what he wants to do. For any vessel landing, there is a fee that is paid off of $6,000, but in this particular case he was given $11,000 for payment and then he does not remit the money to Kenya Ports Authority,” said the officer.
Apart from the agent, investigators have also focused on an officer from the KPA believed to be an accomplice. Preliminary investigations showed that the two were in communication throughout.
Allowed to continue with holiday
However, the crew and passengers were allowed to continue with their holiday schedules in Kilifi while the security team worked to clear the yacht with the necessary legal documents before it departs Kenya. By Sunday afternoon, the vessel was still docked on the ocean.
The 62-metre superyacht, formerly known as Voice, is a luxury vessel built by CRN Yachts in 2020 and valued at approximately Sh9.7 billion. The yacht features high-end amenities and accommodations typical of mega-yachts, making it a prime example of private luxury maritime travel.
Despite the challenges, its arrival had indicated the rise of cruise ship tourism in the Coast region. According to the Ministry of Tourism, Kenya was looking forward to reap from the cruise ship peak season which started in October up to March next year.
Recent data from the Ministry show that cruise ship tourism experienced a 163.5 per cent surge with 6,561 tourists arriving in 2024, up from 2,490 in 2023.
