This archive report was first published on 2 October 2019.
Days after a family was forced to pay private divers to help retrieve the bodies of a woman and her four-year-old daughter who drowned in the Indian Ocean, Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho has called in South African experts to assist in the retrieval process.
According to a tweet by the governor, the South African divers will join local agencies already on the ground to help retrieve the bodies of Mariam Kigenda and her four-year-old daughter Amanda Mutheu.
However, the governor's decision has been met with skepticism from some of his followers, who have questioned the need for international experts when local divers are capable of performing the task.
Earlier, Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia had appointed his Principal Secretary Esther Koimet to lead efforts to retrieve the two bodies, sparking outrage among Kenyans who felt that the government was not doing enough to help the family.
The family had to pay private divers to help retrieve the bodies after the government suspended the recovery operation for the third day due to darkness.
The Kenya Ferry Services had revealed that the two areas identified as the position where the car sunk are 60m deep, making the retrieval process even more complex.
Governor Joho has also urged the Kenya Ferry Services to enhance safety measures and consider mounting movable barriers to secure cars that may develop mechanical problems.
He condoled with the family of the deceased and asked them to be patient during the retrieval process.
