The Mombasa County Government has distanced itself from the organisers of this year’s East African Ocean Festival, following the tragic boat accident at Tudor Creek that left three young men dead and 19 others rescued.

Governor Abdulswamad Sheriff Nassir on Monday said the county did not take part in organising or sponsoring the 2025 edition of the festival, unlike last year, when it was among the sponsors.

“Last year, we were part of the sponsors, but this year, as you saw, the County Government of Mombasa was not among those involved,” said Nassir.

“Do we embrace such activities within our county? Yes, we do. But we were not part of this year’s event.”

The governor said no permit had been issued by the county for the boat race, which was held at Tudor Water Sports. The event ended in tragedy on Friday evening when a boat carrying participants capsized.

Recovery of bodies

Nassir confirmed that all persons had been found and identified after days of search and rescue efforts by a multi-agency team. The bodies were of young people, with the oldest being 24 years old.

“Verification from the various family members, on 12th of October at 3:46 pm, the team was able to recover the body of Caleb Otieno, who was 21 years old,” he said.

“At 1:09 am on 13th October, we recovered Stephen Karembo, 23, and thereafter at 1:13 am, we recovered Thomas Wanyonyi, 24.”

He said one of the bodies was found close to the accident site, while the other two had drifted further away, with one being recovered near Nyali Bridge.

The governor confirmed that the bodies were taken to the Coast General Hospital mortuary. The national and county governments will assist the bereaved families with burial expenses.

Investigation and safety measures

Governor Nassir said a full investigation will be carried out to determine what led to the accident. The inquiry will be led by the Kenya Coast Guard Service, the Kenya Maritime Authority, and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.

“These are questions that must be answered. A full report will be shared with the public and the media to show what exactly transpired and how we got here,” he said.

He added that early findings suggest that some boats used in the competition may not have been inspected and that safety measures such as life jackets might not have been followed.

To prevent similar tragedies, the governor directed that any future water-based events in Mombasa must get clearance from both the County Security and Disaster Management teams. He said the county disaster and enforcement teams will be present during all such events to ensure safety standards are met.

“For the avoidance of doubt, we will be sending communications to all hotels and establishments along the seashore that in future, anyone wishing to hold an event shall get clearance from the county security and disaster management teams,” he said.

New marine safety unit

The governor also announced plans to strengthen the county’s emergency response capacity. He said Mombasa will establish a Marine Inspectorate Unit within the county inspectorate department, responsible for enforcing safety standards and responding to maritime emergencies.

The county will receive a rescue boat through a World Bank programme and will purchase additional vessels for use in rescue operations.

“We will have a boat purposely for safety. We are also looking at our budget lines to buy extra boats that will be used permanently,” Nassir said.

Youth divers to be trained

In honour of the local youths who helped retrieve the victims’ bodies, Nassir announced that the county will recruit young divers from Beach Management Units (BMUs) across Mombasa. The selected youth will undergo professional training in diving and rescue operations.

“The Deputy Governor, who is the acting CEC for Blue Economy, will start recruiting these young people immediately,” he said.

“They will be put on a paid attachment, trained to handle equipment, and taught how to respond in case of emergencies.”

National government support

Deputy President Kithure Kindiki visited Tudor Creek on Sunday, October 12, 2025 and praised the efforts of all the agencies involved in the rescue and recovery mission.

“The national and county governments will support the families of those who lost their loved ones in the tragedy,” Kindiki said.

He also commended local volunteers and community members who were first on the scene and helped save lives.

The DP added that psychosocial support will be offered to the survivors and families affected by the incident.

Kindiki thanked Governor Nassir, Mvita MP Mohammed Machele, and Jomvu MP Badi Twalib for supporting the victims and coordinating the rescue operations.

Nine teams took part in the competition, including the Kenya Navy, Coast Guard, Tourist Police, and local youth groups such as Kijiweni and Burhani Sports. Witnesses said the tragedy occurred near the finish line when the Kijiweni Youth team’s boat lost balance after several members stood up in excitement.