NEW FERRY MISHAP AT LIKONI LEADS TO RENEWED DEMANDS FOR ROAD BYPASS
The Thursday evening incident at the Likoni ferry crossing, when one of the new ferries imported from Germany a while ago ran aground after missing the ramp, caused renewed pressure on the Kenya government to commence construction of the road bypass to the south coast but also once more put the ferry operators Kenya Ferry Services under the spotlight.
Are these people for real asked a regular source from Mombasa before continuing whenever there is such a problem KFS is playing down the issue. They make big statements on what they do about maintenance and so forth but ferries stall midstream with a big risk of colliding with bigger cargo ships and they talk about how they train their staff and still such things happen. Their CEO is also a fool when he thinks he can tell us he does not know because he is on leave. Their internal protocol made sure he got his information immediately and was informed so he should stop lying to the public that he was not aware of an incident because he was on leave. We need the new road from the Nairobi to Mombasa highway to go to the south coast and it cannot come a day too soon. We are fed up with KFS and their arrogant attitudes and bad mistakes they make. And about the question you asked me some weeks ago when you were in Mombasa, that the ferry company now prohibits anyone taking a picture while on the ferry for so called security issues, that is a lie too, they just dont want anyone making evidence pictures on board because it could compromise them so badly and expose them.
Another ferry reportedly then collided with the stranded one, causing more panic and anxiety amongst commuters while on both sides of the Likoni channel, which opens the Indian Ocean to the Mombasa port, were stuck for hours at end. Travelers en route to the airport in Mombasa are said to have missed flights while tourists en route back from Mombasa or from safari reached their south coast beach resorts hours late too.
The stuck ferry MV Kwale was only able to refloat and to be taken for inspection for any damages at the following high tide, a stark reminder for regular commuters what risks a channel crossing involves them in day after day.
Watch this space.
