This archive report was first published on 9 October 2019.
On September 29, a devastating tragedy occurred when Mariam Kighenda and her four-year-old daughter Amanda Mutheu drowned in the Indian Ocean after their vehicle slipped from MV Harambee ferry as it moved from Likoni mainland to Mombasa Island.
According to Government Spokesman Cyrus Oguna, the multi-agency team, comprising the Kenya Navy, Kenya Ferry Services, Kenya Ports Authority, and Kenya Maritime Authority, among others, had been working tirelessly to locate the car.
On October 7, the team had successfully screened ten locations from 14 mapped areas, narrowing down the search to four spots. However, these locations were difficult to navigate, prompting the team to hire advanced equipment from South Africa to aid in the recovery mission.
Yesterday, two of the four locations were eliminated, and today, at about 1pm, the divers communicated that they had spotted what appears to be a car at the remaining two spots. One of the vehicles was upside down, but it was unclear if it had the bodies of Mariam Kighenda and her daughter.
Government Spokesman Cyrus Oguna confirmed that they were 90 per cent sure of the location of the car, but they needed to check the number plate to confirm with certainty that the vehicle spotted was the one that plunged into the Indian Ocean.
Mr. Oguna called for more patience, stating that they hoped to have confirmed if it was the very car by tomorrow. He also thanked the family for their patience and acknowledged that they had been providing counseling services to the family all along.
