This archive report was first published on 12 October 2019.
On September 29, 2019, a devastating tragedy occurred in Likoni, Kenya, when a car slipped from the MV Harambee ferry and plunged into the Indian Ocean. The car, a five-seater Toyota Isis, was carrying Mariam Kighenda and her daughter Amanda Mutheu. The two were found dead in the car, locked in a tight embrace, after it was retrieved from the seabed 13 days later.
According to CCTV footage obtained by Saturday Standard, the car slid from the prow of the ferry at 6:13 pm on September 29. The footage shows Amanda playing on her mother's lap on the driver's seat before the car jerks backwards and keels over into the water.
Rescuers took 13 days to retrieve the wreckage of the car from the seabed, and when it was finally pulled out, the two bodies were found still in an embraced position. The corpses were taken to Jocham Hospital mortuary in Mombasa pending possible burial.
Kenya Navy divers, along with Subsea Services of South Africa, teamed up to lift the car out of the water. The operation started at 10:30 am on the day of the recovery and was completed at 4:25 pm. The car was lifted out by a mobile crane from the Mbarak wharf quayside.
Base commander Levy Mghalu admitted gross inadequacies in the search and rescue capabilities of Kenya's Navy in the sea. He called on the ferry management and other institutions to invest in divers, vessels, and equipment for emergencies like this one.
Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho described the events as tragic and hailed the recovery as historic. Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir demanded accountability and legal action against those who abdicated their duties.
