This archive report was first published on 30 September 2019.
On September 30, 2019, a devastating accident occurred along the Mombasa channel when a vehicle plunged into the ocean, claiming the lives of a mother and her four-year-old daughter.
Mariam Kigenda, 35, and her daughter Amanda Mutheu were crossing over in their car when it lost brakes and began sliding into the sea.
Helpless guards in the ferry were shocked at the time, but started throwing lifesavers after the car began sinking as terrified passengers wailed.
Likoni OCPD Benjamin Rotich said the vehicle, a Toyota ISIS KCB 289C, reversed and lost brakes, a few metres before the ferry docked.
As the two victims remained trapped in the ocean, nearby Kenya Navy officers took long to arrive at the scene of the accident, leaving many to question the ferry operator's communication with standby rescue teams.
Twitter user @ItsShark15 expressed his disgust at the incident, saying, 'This is 2019 and we still living like we're in the 18th Century. What happened at #LikoniFerry is very disgusting. I mean, we shouldn't have lost a life here?'
