This archive report was first published on 1 October 2019.
On Sunday, September 29, 2019, a car carrying a mother and daughter plunged into the Indian Ocean from a ferry in Likoni, Kenya, leaving the family in a state of distress.
Mariam Kigenda and her daughter Amanda were on their way to the family's farm in Gasi, Msambweni, Kwale County, when tragedy struck. The car, a Toyota Probox, reversed from the MV Harambee ferry and slid back into the ocean.
According to John Wambua, Kigenda's husband, the operation to recover the bodies had not begun almost 20 hours after the incident was reported. "My wife and daughter are still under the ocean," he said, fighting to control his tears.
The accident has raised questions about the safety of the Likoni crossing, where ferries carry over 300,000 pedestrians and 6,000 vehicles daily across the channel. The MV Harambee ferry has rusty ramps and lacks safety mechanisms that could have prevented the car from sliding back into the ocean.
Residents have complained that ferry managers have relaxed on enforcing safety measures, such as ensuring all commuters alight from their cars once in the ferry. Wambua recounted how he ran from his house in Tudor to the Likoni Ferry Police Station without shoes after learning about the tragedy on Twitter.
"I had spoken to my wife at about 6.15pm before she boarded the ferry. She complained about the long queues," Wambua said. "I tried to call for the second time, but I could not reach her, and that is when I decided to rush to the Likoni Ferry to find out what could have happened to her," he added.
Kenya Ferry Services Managing Director Bakari Gowa said experts had established that the vehicle had sunk 60m, making it difficult to retrieve. "We have carried out an assessment and established that the place where the vehicle sunk is 60m deep and requires specialised equipment to retrieve," Gowa said.
Friends and relatives expressed their frustration at the delays, with some contemplating hiring private divers to retrieve the bodies. "It is sad that we have been kept waiting hours after the tragedy," said Kigenda's close friend Shella Karembo.
