This archive report was first published on 13 October 2019.
On October 13, 2019, a devastating tragedy struck the family of John Wambua when his wife, Mariam Kighenda, and their four-year-old daughter, Amanda Mutheu, lost their lives in the Likoni ferry disaster.
Speaking at his home in Tudor, Mr. Wambua remembered his wife as a loving, God-fearing, jovial, forgiving, and welcoming person who always put others' problems before her own.
"She was hardworking. She used to manage our farm in Msambweni," he said, fighting back tears.
Mr. Wambua and his wife had been married for 13 years and had two children, Amanda and 10-year-old Alvin.
He recalled Amanda as a "jovial, moody but a very sweet girl" and said he was deeply attached to her.
"Teachers, parents, and her classmates are heartbroken," Mr. Wambua said, speaking about the impact of Amanda's death on the school community.
On the fateful day, September 29, Mariam had traveled to the family's Msambweni farm to collect vegetables and had called her husband to inform him of her safe arrival.
However, just a few minutes to six, she called again to say she was waiting in a queue to pay the Sh120 charged for a car crossing the channel.
Mr. Wambua called her at 6:15 pm, and she told him she had already driven into MV Harambee and would be home in 20 minutes.
But shortly after, a Twitter notification popped up on Mr. Wambua's screen, saying a vehicle had plunged into the Indian Ocean.
"The car in the photo resembled mine. I attempted to call my wife, but her phone was off. She never switched it off," he said.
Mr. Wambua rushed to the Kenya Ferry Services offices, where he confirmed his worst fears.
He rejects the rumors that Mariam may have taken her own life and wants investigations into the tragedy to be speeded up.
"The car was in parking mode, and the hand brake was on," he said.
The vehicle is currently at the Likoni Ferry Police Station, and Mr. Wambua is disappointed with the slow process of retrieving the bodies and the vehicle from the channel.
Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana arrived at Mr. Wambua's home to console him and promised that his administration would support the family.
The family is waiting for the postmortem results before taking the bodies, and they will be buried in Makueni County.
