This archive report was first published on 2 October 2019.
On October 2, 2019, Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho announced that he had sought assistance in the ongoing Likoni ferry tragedy rescue operation.
According to Joho's Twitter post, he had hired a South African firm to help in the rescue operations to recover the bodies still submerged under water.
'I have sent for experts from South Africa to join efforts with multi-agency teams that are working round the clock to retrieve the bodies,' Joho tweeted.
He condoled with the family of the deceased and asked them to be patient during the retrieval process due to the complexity of the mission.
Additionally, Joho stated that the ferry authorities needed to find new ways of securing the vehicles on board the vessels in order to prevent future disasters.
He urged the ferry authorities to enhance safety measures and consider mounting movable barriers to secure cars that may develop mechanical problems and pedestrians.
However, there has been a contradiction in reports regarding the payment made to the South African firm, with Joho's Communications director stating that the government hired the firm, while others claim that Joho offered Sh 2 million for the retrieval of the bodies.
