Nairobi, Kenya, Sept 11 – Hundreds of Kenyans who rely on the Likoni ferry channel are at potential risk following revelations that the passenger safety certificates of the four operational ferries expired on May 7 of this year.
The ferries, known to suffer from mechanical issues, are jeopardizing the lives of passengers crossing from North Coast to South Coast.
The four ferries in question—MV Safari, MV Kwale, MV Likoni, and MV Nyayo—have been operating without valid safety compliance certificates.
Appearing before the Senate Committee on Roads, Transport, and Housing, Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) Managing Director William Ruto admitted that the ferries, which were certified by the Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA), are yet to be re-certified for safety.
“All ferries have been inspected by the KMA except for MV Nyayo, which will be inspected after it is dry-docked, as it is currently non-operational. The Authority is awaiting certification for the remaining vessels,” Ruto told senators.
This response came after Nominated Senator Miraj Abdillahi raised concerns about the maintenance and safety standards of the ferries operating at the Likoni channel.
“All of the certificates have expired. The MD should tell us whether these vessels should still be in operation without being inspected,” Abdillahi said.
Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei echoed these concerns, questioning why the ferries had been allowed to operate for months without valid safety certificates.
“What is being done about these passenger safety certificates? Why have the ferries continued to operate despite this?”
The senators also raised questions about the value for money spent on the newly acquired ferries, MV Safari and MV Jambo, which were procured from Turkey in 2020 and 2017, respectively.
Both vessels have reportedly experienced frequent mechanical issues, causing disruptions at the Likoni channel.
KPA MD William Ruto downplayed the issues, describing the breakdowns as minor and manageable.
“The breakdowns were minor in nature, and corrective actions were taken within a day, except for the replacement of the propeller on MV Jambo, which took five days,” he said.
However, documents presented to the Senate show that MV Safari broke down six times between January and February this year, with engine-related problems such as overheating, transmission failure, and alternator belt failure.
These breakdowns forced the KPA to withdraw the ferry from service.MV Jambo also experienced two breakdowns in the same period, with one incident causing a five-day disruption due to engine failure and propeller issues.
Currently, the KPA operates four ferries—MV Safari, MV Jambo, MV Likoni, and MV Kwale—which operate 24 hours a day.
Despite being newer, MV Safari and MV Jambo have experienced more frequent breakdowns than the older ferries, leading to questions from the Senate.
“Why do the newer ferries seem to have more breakdowns compared to the older ones that were procured over 30 years ago?” Kiambu Senator Karungo Thang’wa asked.
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna also expressed dissatisfaction with the explanations given by the KPA.
“It’s very unsatisfactory. The newest ferry, MV Safari, has the worst record when it comes to breakdowns,” he said.
In response, KPA MD Ruto attributed the issues to the complexity of the new fleet procured from Turkey.
“These are new vessels with advanced electronics. Even a minor alarm can cause the ferry to stop. Our team is still learning to adjust to these systems,” he explained.
Source: capitalfm
