Queries raised about safety of ferries

The lives of thousands of Kenyans crossing the Likoni channel in Mombasa could be at risk, with revelations that the passenger safety certificates of six operational ferries have expired.

Documents tabled before senators by the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) show that the certificates of the MV Safari, MV Kwale, MV Likoni and MV Nyayo expired on May 7, while the certificates of the MV Jambo and MV Harambee expired on February 1.

The revelations came as senators demanded to know whether there was value for money in the recent acquisition of the MV Safari and MV Kwale from Turkey.

Documents had revealed that the two vessels had broken down at least eight times between January and February.

Deaths and injuries

The MV Safari, only four years old, has broken down six times and the MV Jambo that has operated for seven years had stalled twice.

The other two – MV Likoni and MV Kwale, manufactured in 2010 and in operation for four years – have broken down four and two times respectively. The MV Harambee, made in 1990 and in operation for 34 years, broke down and has not been repaired.

The MV Nyayo was manufactured in 1990 and had operated for 34 years and is no longer operational.

“Currently, the Authority operates four ferries i.e MV Safari, Jambo, Likoni, and Kwale at the Likoni Channel. MV Nyayo and MV Harambee are on maintenance programme (drydocking works and machinery replacement),” the documents say.

Appearing before the Senate’s Roads, Housing and Transport Committee, which is chaired by Kiambu Senator Karungo wa Thang’wa, KPA Managing Director William Ruto said only two people had died and two others were injured in the last five years on the agency’s ferries.

He claimed that the breakdowns were minor and were fixed within a day, except the work of replacing a propeller on the MV Jambo which took five days.

Modern ferries

The MV Nyayo and the MV Harambee, he explained, were expected to be replaced by modern ferries of a higher capacity. He added that the MV Kilindini had been decommissioned, and a provision had made in the 2023-2024 financial year to acquire a new ferry.

He said: “Some of the ferries are new and these issues they are facing are because they have been operating for 24 hours as opposed to the old ones that only operated for 12 hours. The breakdowns are minor and are brought about by the fact that the equipment is new.”

But senators said it was interesting that only new ferries had broken down.

Edwin Sifuna (Nairobi) dismissed Ruto’s claim that the breakdowns were minor, arguing that an engine leaking or shutting down is a major.

He said: “There is clearly a problem with these ferries, we need to check this out.”

Samson Cherarkei (Nandi) and Miraj Abdillahi (nominated) wondered how the ferries whose safety certificates had expired were still operating.

On the MV Safari, the KPA noted in the documents that it lost its second engine on January 11 this year due to overheating as it moved from Likoni to mainland ramp.

“The engine was on high load due to prevailing strong winds causing a leakage of the cooling water pipe. The leakage was corrected, and the vessel resumed … operations at 1600 hours after the winds subsided,” KPA says in the documents.

On January 15, another breakdown happened after a plastic radiator hose pipe for fresh water circulation burnt, the main engine overheated, and an alternator belt failed. It broke down again on January 29, February 2 and February 10.

The MV Jambo, the report shows, broke down on February 10 while it was moving from Likoni Island to mainland side after the two engines went off due to overheating at a time when there were strong winds that had forced the ferry to operate at high engine load for a long time to counter the adverse effect of the wind to maintain the navigation course  while on February 14 , the ferry broke down after the engine number 1 propeller failed.

Mooring strop

The MV Likoni, the report shows, broke down on January 13 after the mooring strop trapped on a propeller. It broke down again on February 16, while it overshot the ramp on the island side on February 25.

The MV Kwale only broke down on two occasions, including on January 1 when the Kwale mainland prow failed to operate while in operation, and on January 30 when propeller oil leaked in one engine.

The MV Harambee broke down on February 19 after parts of one engine were found lost.