Months after Likoni crossing tragedy, faulty vessels remain

When Kenya Ferry Services (KFS) managing director Bakari Gowa appeared before the Senate Committee on Transport and Infrastructure in November last year, he openly said three vessels operating in the Likoni Channel needed to be grounded.

Mr Gowa cited the MV Kilindini, MV Nyayo and MV Harambee as old and faulty ferries.

In his shocking revelations, he also noted that it had become too costly to maintain the three and two others — the MV Likoni and MV Kwale.

Based on Mr Gowa’s assertions, it was prudent for the five ferries to be withdrawn from service because they were “death traps”.

The revelations came after ferry user Mariam Kighenda and her four-year-old daughter died when their car slipped off the faulty prow of the Harambee and plunged into the Indian Ocean.

After the incident, KFS only installed chains on the bow (front) and stern (back) of the five ferries to prevent similar incidents.

A survey by the Nation revealed that the parastatal is still struggling to maintain the ferries, sometimes fabricating spare parts for the vessels.

The sixth vessel, the MV Jambo, which has been the only hope, has also been developing mechanical problems, though it has been in service for only two years.

On Monday, the ferry, the largest in the country, caused panic when it developed a mechanical hitch midstream.

One of its two engines, Mr Gowa later said, had overheated and forced the coxswain to switch off the vessel.

The Nation learnt that of the five other ferries, the Nyayo is in the worst state, as its body is rusty and guard rails are missing from a section of it.

“The vessel also has holes on the deck. Seawater can pass through the holes and if enough water gets into the vessel, a disaster will occur,” said a KFS maintenance official.

The Nyayo, KFS management says, is supposed to be out of service and under repair.

But that has not happened as the vessel is still in service.

The Nation has learnt that for now, the MV Nyayo could not be withdrawn as it could result to a crisis since another ferry MV Likoni is also out of operation.

The MV Likoni which was recently fixed with prows at a cost of Sh60 million is reportedly out of service as it propeller is not functional.

“We want to put propeller guard to Mv Likoni to help it function well when landing. The guards were not put when it went for repairs. It has therefore been taken to Amgeco for the repairs,” said Mr Gowa when asked why the ferry was out of service since it was recently taken out for repairs.

Currently, the KFS management is grappling to serve the more than 300,000 people and 6,000 vehicles which use the Likoni channel daily using the four ferries which they are forcing to operate.

The vessels operating are MV Kwale, MV Kilindini, MV Nyayo and MV Jambo. Two of the ferries - MV Kilindini and MV Nyayo) which are 30 years old are among the three that KFS want withdrawn, but that has not been and instead are being forced down the throats of Kenyans using the channel.

As for MV Kwale and MV Likoni, KFS has time and again said that getting spare parts for them has been a problem as they have been phased out of the market.

The two vessels were procured in German and built by a company which has since shut down it services.

With all these problems at hand, KFS is now only banking it hopes on the new second ferry namely MV Safari.

The construction of the vessel which is among the two that were procured at a cost of Sh2 billion was completed early this year and the vessel officially launched in Turkey on February 10.

Currently, KFS is working on the process to bring the ferry from Turkey where it was built to Kenya.

“The vessel was launched there and we are now planning to have put on a ship and be brought to Kenya. The vessel will help us in dealing with congestion,” said Mr Gowa in a recent interview with the Nation.

It will take one month for the ferry to get to Kenya once it leaves Turkey. But, until it gets at the Likoni jetty, the lives of the ferry users can still continue put to taste as they continue to use the faulty ferries available.