Commuters hurt in Likoni ferry stampede

A number of commuters were injured on Tuesday as they struggled to enter a ferry operating between the South Coast and Mombasa Island.

One of the three ferries that operate on the Likoni Channel broke down early in the morning causing commuters to fight for space in the only operational vessel. The third ferry had broken down earlier.

More 170,000 pedestrians and 3,000 vehicles cross the channel every day. Trouble started at 5am when the biggest vessel, Mv Nyayo, broke down in the middle of the channel, delaying commuters for about an hour.

Mr John Juma, who was in the vessel when it stalled, said they spent about an hour in the vessel. According to him, the ferry stalled between 4.40am and 5.35am while crossing from the mainland to the island.

The vessel was later towed by Mv Harambee to the island side.

There was panic after the ferry’s public address system collapsed due to a power failure.

According to a mechanical expert at the Kenya Ferry Services (KFS) who declined to be named, both engines of the vessel failed, causing the ferry to stall.

After the vessel developed problems, KFS withdrew a ferry from Mtongwe, Mv Pwani, to help clear the traffic jam at Likoni.

Near-stampede

Thousands of Mtongwe residents, who depend on the ferry to commute to work, were inconvenienced by the withdrawal of the ferry.

The high number of Mtongwe residents at the Likoni channel increased the numbers of commuters leading to a near-stampede as people clamoured to board the working ferries.

Kenya Ferry management was unwilling to comment on the matter.

Marketing and corporate affairs manager Elizabeth Wachira directed journalists to the operations manager, Mr Antony Mazungu, who also declined to give any comment.

He directed all inquiries to the managing director, Mr John Joel Ria.

“I know we have a problem but I am not talking to the media,” he said.

Mr Ria could not be reached.

Although two new ferries were to have been bought from a German firm, Schiff Bau, for Sh1 billion since 2004, controversy dogged the tendering process, delaying the purchase.

The ferries were to be delivered last month, but KFS recently said that they would not be ready until June.