This archive report was first published on 11 December 2019.
On December 11, 2019, the National Assembly adopted a report by the Public Investments Committee on the safety of ferries in Mombasa, which could lead to the grounding of three aging ferries.
The Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA) is expected to cancel the certificates of all ferries that do not meet safety standards, leaving only three ferries in operation.
According to the report, three of the six ferries have been in operation for over 30 years, contrary to the Kenya Ferry Service (KFS) policy that ferries be replaced after 20 years.
KFS Managing Director Bakari Gowa confirmed to the committee that they were operating the old ferries against their own policy because they don't have the funds to buy new ones.
During an inspection visit, the MPs found 12 defects on MV Harambee, including damaged prows, which contributed to an accident in September 2019 that claimed the lives of two people.
Previous audit reports, including the 2016/17 report, had raised concerns about the safety status of the ferries, including failure to service them on schedule.
