This archive report was first published on 12 October 2019.
On September 29, a car carrying Mariam Kighenda, 35, and her four-year-old daughter Amanda Mutheu slipped off the MV Harambee ferry in Likoni Channel, resulting in a tragic loss of life.
However, the recovery operation, which lasted for 13 days, was not without its challenges. Interviews with team members revealed a complex web of intrigue and friction that contributed to the delays.
According to an official in the multi-agency team, the Kenya Navy was involved in the operation primarily to provide a sense of reassurance to the family.
"It was when the family showed seriousness in getting private divers that the operation became serious," the official stated.
Initially, local divers were contracted by the family to retrieve the vehicle and the bodies, but they pulled out of the operation after receiving Sh100,000. It was only when the family hired eight South African divers from SubSeas Services, with the assistance of Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho, who provided Sh2 million to cover the costs, that the operation gained momentum.
However, the introduction of the South African divers also led to a power struggle between the Kenya Navy and other agencies involved in the operation. The lack of cooperation and coordination between the agencies resulted in significant delays, with some team members expressing frustration at the lack of planning and coordination.
"What we were going for was just like a breakfast meeting where we shared information on locations that we had found using our machines," said one source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Ultimately, it was the family's decision to hire private divers that brought the operation to a successful conclusion, with the bodies of Mariam Kighenda and Amanda Mutheu being recovered from the Indian Ocean on Friday afternoon.
