Members of Parliament (MPs) have raised concerns over the safety of ferries in the country. 

Share news tips with us here at Hivisasa

On Wednesday, a committee, chaired by Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir,  presented a report of the Public Investment Committee on the safety of the ferries.

The report showed that there is a high chance of three out of six ferries being grounded due to safety reasons.

If the implementation of the report will be passed by the National Assembly, the Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA) will be expected to cancel the certificates and ground three ferries that have been working for more than three decades.

KFS Managing Director Bakari Gowa confirmed to the committee that they allowed the old ferries to operate against their policy because no money has been issued to buy new ones.

The three ferries have operated for 30 years, something that is contrary with the Kenya Ferry Service (KFS) policies. 

As per the KFS policies, a ferry is required to operate for a period of not more than 20 years.

The report also indicates that the non-functioning prow contributed to an accident that led to the loss of two lives, that is, in the year 2019 September.

“The non-functional prow played a part in the accident that claimed the lives of two people when a vehicle slipped off MV Harambee in September 2019,” the report states