Likoni Ferry Disaster Is A National Shame

In a 20 seconds video, Kenyans watched as a mother and her daughter helplessly drowned in their car. This was the horrible case at Likoni that has remained stuck in our visual memories.

Most disturbing part is there was zero attempts to rescue the drowning family simply put, there’s no rescue plan in place only God is there to see you through.

Its a shame and highest level of incompetence that must not be tolerated if only Kenya had a working system and leaders had conscience, there’s no way the transport CS should still be in office after an avoidable disaster.

Whats worse is more than 48 hours later, the two bodies are yet to be retrieved with the Kenya Port Authority citing lack of proper equipment and largely that they’re incapacitated. Likoni Ferry moves upto 100,000 people daily and it’s sickening to think that there’s no disaster management measure put in place.

This is a high level of incompetence and tables needs to be shaken for people outing lives of Kenyans in danger.

During National celebrations were often treated to movie like antics by our curves on their capabilities to handle swiftly such incidences. Now that we have poor Kenyans in the seabed, it’s a no show for the Kenya Maritime Authority, Coastguard and where’s the navy? This is so embarrassing.

As some have opined, it’s only that the deceased are nobodies, are you sure if a prominent person or even a white family drowned it would take more than 24 hours before the body(ies) are retrieved? The poor don’t have a place in this country.

Becaused the deceased are nobodies, we’re yet to hear any leader both at county and national level speak, not surprising. It’s the ordinary Kenyans who use this ferry on a daily basis so it’s us for the hang.

This years Mashujaa day you can expect a pomp show from the navy on how great they’re when in reality they can’t even retrieve bodies under 60m. So we’re told the available oxygen can only go for 30m.

Our uniformed forces have intensified rehearsals for this year's Mashujaa Day celebrations at the Mama Ngina Waterfront Park, Mombasa. This will be the first time in our history that the Kenya Navy will give the National Salute to the President. pic.twitter.com/8FVW4CLAtq

— Dr. Eng. Karanja Kibicho (@Karanjakibicho) September 30, 2019

And why in hell don’t we have professional divers on standby? A story doing round of private divers who’ve refused to help the state until they’re paid.

The death of this mother and her daughter should be a wake up call to the sleepy authorities that you can’t run a ferry without a disaster management plan. Multiple strategies must therefore be put in place. These must be the last avoidable deaths. And isn’t it time a bridge is considered an option? I think so.