Plans to build bridge at ferry channel not yet afoot

Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho has said the national government has delayed the construction of a bridge across Likoni channel by switching firms.

Mr Joho said the French government was willing to finance the construction but got no approval from the government, which sought another company's services.

Speaking at the Aga Kgan Hospital in Mombasa during the signing of an agreement between Aga Khan Health Services Kenya and Agence Française de Développement (AFD) on Friday to expand and upgrade Kisumu and Mombasa Aga Khan Hospitals, Mr Joho said the government thwarted the plan.

"A study and design was done by a French firm on the bridge. In fact I have a letter in my office on the same. But the national government went elsewhere...effectively bringing the plan to a grind," he said.

Governor Joho added that the government instead engaged a Japan consultancy firm, Katahira & Engineers International, which began the survey and committed to completing the first phase in July 2016 and the second one in February 2017; but has not done so.

The intention to erect a bridge is to ease congestion at the channel, which is a major problem.

Likoni ferry channel is struck by perpetual congestion with an average of 300,000 commuters and 3,000 vehicles using the facility daily.

Also, ferries stall leaving thousands of commuters stranded. And traffic flow from the North Coast mainland to the Island is interrupted.

If constructed, the bridge would not only ease movement of goods and people from the Island, South Coast and beyond to Tanzania but also reduce conflicts between docking ships and ferries.

It will further increase Mombasa port's capacity to handle cargo and create synergy among the ongoing Mombasa Port Area Road development and the Dongo Kundu projects as well as the Mombasa Special Economic Zone.

A report of the pre-feasibility study done by Katahira & Engineers International was submitted to the ministry in March last year.

The Transport ministry said it secured funding from Japan International Corporation Agency (Jica).

Meanwhile, Kenya Ferry Services Managing Director Bakari Gowa said the two ferries ordered from Turkey at a cost of Sh1.9 billion have not yet been delivered.

Mr Gowa said they were to arrive between December 2016 and February 2017; the delay is as a result of technical problems.