Governor Abdulswamad Nassir Plans To Ban Vehicles From Likoni Ferry After Accident

Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir is plotting a radical shift in terms of the transport system in the Coastal city in response to an accident where nine people sustained injuries after a Chania Executive bus carrying passengers plunged into the Indian Ocean at the Likoni Ferry crossing channel in Mombasa. 

Nassir on Sunday, October 6 paid a visit to the victims at the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital to offer support and ensure they "are receiving the best care possible."

In a statement, the county boss openly called for a total ban on vehicular traffic on ferries in a bid to ensure the safety of passengers using the ferry, adding that his administration would front a proposal on the same to the national government.

"The County Government of Mombasa is deeply concerned about the safety of all ferry users. As a measure to prevent future accidents, we will be proposing to the National Government a cessation of vehicular traffic on the ferry. This step aims to enhance safety for both pedestrians and motorists using the ferry," he revealed.

An image of the bus in Likoni Ferry channel during an accident on October 6, 2024. /X

"I urge all residents and travellers to remain cautious during this period, as emergency teams wind up their operations at the scene. We will keep you informed of further developments. Our prayers are with those injured, and we wish them a speedy recovery."

His remarks can be viewed as a sign of a vow to take decisive action to curb the rampant incidents being witnessed along the channel mainly involving vehicles. In Sunday's incident, the bus was crossing over from the mainland to Ukunda when the incident occurred.

Past Ferry Incidents

A day before the bus incident, a truck also plunged into the Indian Ocean, with reports suggesting the driver of the truck lost control while trying to avoid running over passengers at the Likoni Ferry crossing channel. While there were no casualties, that incident led to major delays at the channel.

Others such as one involving a lorry which was ferrying cement on December 24, 2022, and another in January 2021 which saw a truck plunge into the ocean at the same channel have raised concerns. 

Kenyans need not take long to recall one of the most tragic incidents at the same spot which occurred in September 2019 when a car slipped off a ferry midway, plunging into the waters, tragically drowning a mother and her daughter. 

The September incident, which saw agencies take a record 11 days to recover the bodies of Miriam Kighenda and her four-year-old daughter Amanda Mutheu, drew condemnation and uproar over the safety of motorists in the channel, possibly leading to Nassir's current suggestion.

Financial Impact

It remains to be seen how the Kenya Ferry Services (KFS) will cope if the governor's proposal to cease vehicular traffic on the ferry materialises. Transporting cars is one of the biggest revenue generators for KFS, which experienced a 46.42 per cent revenue growth in 2023. On average, 7,000 cars use the channel daily, with the price to ferry one vehicle ranging between Ksh120 to Ksh7,500, depending on the size.

One of the reasons for the surge in traffic at the Likoni Ferry channel was because of the closure of the Mtongwe Ferry crossing channel in 2019 to allow for the installation of pontoons, pillars, and gangways on both sides of the channel in an initiative that was estimated to cost Ksh28 million.

Closure of the channel meant over 300,000 people who used the channel had to find alternative means, including the Likoni Ferry channel. Normal services were expected to resume in June 2022, but that is yet to happen.

Alternative

If vehicles are banned from using the ferry, they will have to resort to the upcoming Dongo Kundu bypass, which is on the verge of completion.

After five years of waiting, the bypass was officially opened in August 2024, five months after its expected launch in March. Only one section of the road, however, is accessible to the public as the road is 96% complete.