House team wants key ferry officials probed

Kenya Ferry Services management should be investigated over the persistent crisis at Likoni Channel, a House committee has said.

The Parliamentary Transport Committee chaired by Mr Maina Kamanda Friday asked the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission to step in.

After meeting the ferries’ management in Likoni, Mr Kamanda, who is also the Starehe MP, called on the anti-graft agency to investigate the accounts, procurement and tendering of spare parts.

The MP said his team established corruption and lack of team work as the main factors behind the ferries crisis.

“Pulling in different directions on such sensitive matters that touch on people’s lives results in the mess that we are seeing at the Likoni Channel,’’ he said.

Mr Kamanda told journalists after the meeting with the ferries’ management among them the Managing Director Hassan Musa and Chairman James Fondo.

“Quarrels between the boss and his junior officials can easily cause a disaster at the channel,” he said.

Mr Kamanda, who was accompanied by Mombasa Woman Rep Mishi Mboko, MPs Chachu Ganya, Mohamed Mohamud (vice- chairman), Omar Mwinyi and Abdullswamad Nassir of Mvita, called for urgent investigations.

The leaders warned that the infighting between officials portrays a bad image of the agency.

STUDENTS INJURED
On Monday, 11 people including schoolchildren were injured during a stampede as thousands of people boarded a ferry on Mombasa island.

The management said that two other ferries were out of service due to mechanical problems while another, MV Kwale, had stalled on the Island.

Tourism players have complained that frequent ferry breakdowns at the channel have dealt a blow to the industry in the South Coast.

On Friday, Mr Kamanda said the anti-corruption agency would help unravel the problems facing the ferry services.

“The committee visited the Kenya Ferry Services to know what is ailing it. We want corruption allegations levelled against the management to be investigated,” he said.

Mr Kamanda said it was resolved during the closed-door meeting with the board that the existing five ferries would be well maintained.

He said the ferries’ management told his team that the parastatal is facing a financial crisis.

“We were told that the management requires Sh35 million to repair two ferries,” said Mr Kamanda.

SPARE PARTS ISSUE
He went on: “The engineers also attributed the ferry crisis to a major problem of spare parts. That’s why we want the tendering investigated.”

Mr Kamanda supported Mombasa County Commissioner Nelson Marwa’s position that corruption is rife at the agency and that the management needs to resign if it is unable to deal with the crisis.

He dismissed criticism against Mr Marwa by Transport Principal Secretary John Mosonik on Thursday as uncalled for.

“Mr Marwa knows what is happening because he is a government representative. It was wrong for the PS to fight a fellow State official,” said Mr Kamanda.