This archive report was first published on 11 October 2019.
On October 11, 2019, a multi-agency team in Mombasa, Kenya, successfully recovered the bodies of Mariam Kighenda, 35, and her 4-year-old daughter Amanda Mutheu from the Indian Ocean, 13 days after their car slipped off the MV Harambee ferry on September 29.
The recovery operation, which began at 7:30 am, was led by a team of divers from SubSeas company and involved a huge crane from Southern Engineering Company (SECO) and tug boats.
Government spokesperson Cyrus Oguna briefed the media at 9:11 am, expressing hope that the operation would be completed before the end of the day. Normal ferry services continued at the Likoni Channel, with ships entering and exiting the port while avoiding the area where the operation was taking place.
At 12:30 pm, Mombasa County Transport and Infrastructure CEC Tawfiq Balala arrived to condole with the husband of Ms Kighenda, while a section of close relatives were allowed into the Mbaraki Wharf after earlier being asked to stay away due to chaos.
At 4:00 pm, the vehicle was pulled out from the water, bringing an end to the 13-day search and recovery operation.
