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Are there any lessons learnt from Likoni ferry tragedy?

By Amina Wako October 14th, 2019 1 min read

The Kenya Maritime Authority and the Commission on Administrative Justice are investigating the circumstances, under which a vehicle on-board MV Harambee ferry, plunged into the Indian Ocean, leading to the death of a mother and child.

The bodies of Mariam Kighenda and her four-year-old daughter Amanda Mutheu stayed under the water for 13 days before they were recovered on Friday afternoon.

Initial investigations have revealed that the ignition keys of the station wagon was off but the windshield wipers were found to be on.

The gear was in parking mode when the car was pulled out of the ocean on Friday.

But even in the wake of the tragedy, the ramps of at least three operation ferries continue to ride low on the water.

In the 2016/2017 audit, Auditor General Edward Ouko warned about the stability of the pulleys and prows designed to protect passengers and motorists in the ferry from sliding back into the ocean.

AUDIT REPORT

“It was observed that most of the pulleys on most ferries are defective thus causing the plows to be submerged in water when the ferries are moving. This endangers both pedestrians and motorists,” reads the audit report.

Also, the Kenya Ferry Services has not insured for third-party liability claims hence the family of Kigenda will not be compensated.

The company has not insured all ferries for third-party liability, therefore it would be difficult for the company to settle liabilities in case of an accident which requires compensation,” the report further states.