This archive report was first published on 16 October 2019.
On October 16, 2019, Kenya Ferry Services (KFS) issued two cheques worth Sh100,000 each to the family of Mariam Kighenda, who drowned in the Indian Ocean on September 29th, 2019, when her car plunged into the Likoni channel from the MV Harambee.
The family is now set to battle KFS in court over compensation, as the Managing Director, Bakari Gowa, has refuted claims that the cheques were compensation, stating that the money was for funeral expenses.
However, Mayfair Insurance Company, which covered the car, has announced that it had paid the widower, John Wambua, after he lodged a claim for the vehicle.
KFS claims to have insured its fleet of six ferries with an international firm at an annual cost of Sh80 million.
According to Gowa, "It is true we issued two cheques of Sh200,000 to the widower, John Wambua, and Mariam’s father, Peter Mwaghongo, to support burial arrangements," he said.
