This archive report was first published on 30 September 2019.
On September 29, 2019, a devastating tragedy occurred when a personal car carrying a 35-year-old mother, Mariam Kigenda, and her four-year-old daughter slid off the Likoni Ferry, halfway to the island. The incident resulted in the loss of their lives, with no divers coming to their rescue.
Relatives of the deceased have expressed their discontent with the operation to recover the bodies, alleging that the ferry management had been reluctant to help. According to Miriam Kalekye, a relative of the two who passed away, the ferry management had asked for money to facilitate the transportation of an unidentified professional diver who had not shown up until this moment.
Ms. Kalekye stated,
“Since yesterday up until now, there has been no action. We haven’t seen any divers at the scene. We were asked to pay for a taxi to bring a special diver to help out but so far, nothing has happened,”
The sunk vehicle has been located 60 meters deep by Kenya Ferry Services (KFS), but the bodies have not been recovered due to poor infrastructure to handle the activity. KFS reported that their oxygen tasks do not go beyond 30 meters deep.
