South African divers to join hunt for ferry victims

The government said yesterday  that South African divers had been contracted to arrive in the country today to help retrieve the victims of the Likoni ferry tragedy in which a car slid off the vessel into the ocean last Sunday.

Government spokesperson Cyrus Oguna said the South African divers will hold a meeting with their Kenya Navy counterparts before proceeding with the exercise tomorrow.

“The first batch of highly specialised divers who have been contracted by the family will arrive in the country tomorrow (today) and thereafter, meet the team being led by the Kenya Navy to agree on how to go about the exercise by Tuesday,” he said.

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At the same time, some women legislators have threatened to camp at Likoni ferry during Mashujaa Day celebrations if bodies of Mariam Kighenda and her daughter Amanda Mutheu will not have been retrieved. 

The leaders allied to Inua Mama faction on Friday accused the government of taking long to retrieve the bodies from the ocean.

Led by Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa, Nakuru Senator Susan Kihika and Kandara MP Alice Wahome, the lawmakers said the departments involved are not committed to retrieve the bodies, terming the incident a shame to the whole nation.