This archive report was first published on 1 November 2019.
Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia is facing intense scrutiny after it emerged that he received a warning about the dangers of ferries at the Likoni Channel days before the tragic incident that claimed the lives of Mariam Kighenda and her daughter Amanda Mutheu.
According to The Standard, confidential documents by the Kenya Ferry Services Board revealed that the board had written to Macharia on July 31, 2019, seeking the intervention of the Director of Criminal Investigations, George Kinoti, to investigate the procurement of services at the KFS.
The board had highlighted that despite millions being spent on repairing ferries every year, the vessels still posed a significant risk to commuters.
“The vessels are dilapidated thus posing as safety risk to the thousands of commuters. While KFS has annually set aside enormous funds for servicing the vessels, there isn’t much to show,” said Dan Mwanzo, the former KFS board chairman.
On November 1, 2019, the Senate Committee on Transport recommended grounding all unseaworthy vessels plying the Likoni Channel, citing the risk to the lives of over 300,000 commuters who use the ferries daily.
Transport CS James Macharia has come under fire for allegedly receiving a warning about the dangers of ferries at the Likoni Channel days before the tragic incident that claimed the lives of Mariam Kighenda and her daughter Amanda Mutheu.
