This archive report was first published on 7 October 2019.
October 7, 2019, marked a week since a car and its occupants slipped off MV Harambee in the Likoni Channel, leading to the tragic drowning of a mother and her daughter. The search for their bodies has been ongoing, with the government and private divers working together to locate the vehicle.
However, the dredging at the port of Mombasa has continued, despite African Union envoy Raila Odinga ordering a halt to the operation to improve visibility and aid in the recovery of the bodies. A spot check by the Nation on Sunday revealed that a ship was still dredging in the channel, hampering the recovery mission.
On Saturday, Mr. Odinga asked the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) to stop the dredging operations at the port because it had greatly hampered visibility in the ocean, delaying the search and retrieval of the bodies. In a press briefing on Sunday, Government Spokesperson Cyrus Oguna said stakeholders were still in discussions on whether to halt the dredging, which is said to cost KPA millions of shillings daily.
"We are yet to agree on what should be done about the dredging. The relevant authorities are currently in talks," he said.
Meanwhile, the country expects the arrival of a group of professional divers from South Africa who will join in the recovery of the bodies of Mariam Kighenda and her daughter Amanda Mutheu. The private divers have been hired by Kighenda's family, which had received a Sh2 million donation from Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho.
Pressure continues to mount on the government amid fears of diminishing hopes, seven days after the car and its occupants slipped off MV Harambee. At the same time, Jubilee MPs have told civil servants to ignore roadside orders issued by Mr. Odinga, saying he has no powers to issue such directives.
