This archive report was first published on 13 October 2019.
On September 29, a devastating ferry tragedy occurred at the Likoni channel, resulting in the loss of a mother and her daughter. The car they were in was pulled out of the Indian Ocean on Friday evening, and their bodies were retrieved from the wreckage.
According to Mariam Kighenda's widower, John Wambua, the car was in parking gear with the handbrake engaged when it slid into the ocean. This contradicts the initial theory that the mother may have accidentally engaged the reverse gear.
‘The car was in parking gear and its handbrake up. We do not understand how the car in such a state could have slid into the ocean,’ Wambua said in a phone interview.
Investigations are ongoing, with detectives questioning five people, including two private security guards, a coxswain, and two top ferry managers. The Kenya Ferry Services (KFS) Managing Director, Bakari Gowa, has denied being summoned or questioned by the police, claiming he was not aware of a police investigation.
Government Spokesman Col Cyrus Oguna has hinted at the start of a criminal probe, warning against apportioning blame too quickly. He also ruled out the establishment of a divers team by KFS, citing the proximity of the Kenya Ports Authority and the Kenya Navy to the channel.
Published on October 13, 2019, at 1:00 PM.
