This archive report was first published on 10 October 2019.
On October 10, 2019, the recovery operation at Likoni to retrieve the sunken vehicle and bodies of Mariam Kighendi and Amanda Mutheu was delayed for about an hour.
Government Spokesman Cyrus Oguna cited channel traffic, huge ocean currents, and the scheduled docking of two ships as the reasons for the delay.
“We had promised to start the recovery operation by 3 pm, but we have not started yet because we do not want to slow down the traffic of those crossing the Likoni channel to Mombasa. We are waiting for the number of people crossing to decrease before we begin the operation,” he told journalists.
Mr. Oguna further explained that the huge ocean currents had prevented the divers from resuming operations at 9 am as had been planned.
He emphasized that the safety of the divers was paramount, even as they sought to retrieve the car that was spotted on Wednesday afternoon, 11 days after it submerged.
Two ships scheduled to pass through the Likoni channel were also said to have delayed recovery efforts.
Once the two vessels pass, the divers would be cleared to resume the operation, according to the Government Spokesman.
The Kenya Ferry Services later indicated that the recovery operation at Likoni had resumed.
“We will keep you updated on any new developments. Once again, we would like to convey our condolences and sympathies to the family and friends,” KFS said on Twitter.
