This archive report was first published on 9 October 2019.
On October 9, 2019, the recovery operation for the ferry tragedy at Likoni channel was ongoing, with the family of the victims blaming the government for dragging its feet.
Government Spokesperson Cyrus Oguna threw shade at private divers who claimed they could retrieve the bodies of Mariam Kighenda and her daughter Amanda Mutheu from the Indian Ocean within a short time.
Col. Oguna stated that there were people who said they could do the work better and in record time, but failed and left.
He was referring to Swedish diver Volker Bassen, who claimed he had enough equipment and expertise to locate the sunken vehicle within 15 minutes and get it out of water in 2 hours once he had pinpointed the exact location.
However, Bassen was forced to eat his words after his failed attempt, citing zero visibility, very deep water, and terrible current as the reasons for his failure.
The family had paid private divers after the government suspended recovery operation after the third day due to darkness.
According to Oguna, the operation by multi-agency teams was due to resume on Thursday morning to finalize their mission.
He called for more patience, stating that what was remaining was about 10 per cent, and they needed to confirm the number plate of the vehicle to ascertain if indeed it was the one that sunk into the channel on September 29.
