This archive report was first published on 11 October 2019.
October 11, 2019 - The Likoni Ferry channel in Mombasa County was the scene of a desperate prayer session by family members and friends of Mariam Kighenda and her daughter Amanda Mutheu, whose car slipped and fell into the Indian Ocean on September 29. The car, still trapped in the seabed, has yet to be retrieved despite being located.
Government spokesman Cyrus Oguna had earlier promised that the recovery effort would be completed within hours, but the Kenya Navy's efforts have been delayed indefinitely. The Navy's Principal Secretary for Transport, Esther Koimett, was also on site but failed to provide a clear explanation for the delay.
According to sources, the recovery teams are facing difficulties in bringing the wreck to the surface due to lack of adequate oxygen. The Kenya Navy had earlier revealed that Kenyan divers could only plunge into the sea for six minutes due to lack of oxygen. Additionally, the team encountered difficulty in attaching the wrecked car to a cord attached to the pulleys, with the first attempt being successful but the cord snapping when the crane began to pull it upwards.
Two other groups of private divers had left the recovery efforts earlier, allegedly disagreeing with the Kenya Navy and other State officers. The county government had donated Sh2 million towards the hiring of the divers, who were employees of South African firm Sub-Sea Services.
"It is very frustrating for us as a family. We do not know what is happening. It is taking too long but we have no other option other than to wait," said a grieving widower, John Wambua.
