President Uhuru Kenyatta with DP William Ruto on board MV Likoni when they launched the Mtongwe ferry services. Photo/ the-star.co.ke
Elders from the Mijikenda community have asked the Kenya Ferry Services (KFS) to cleanse the newly relaunched Mtongwe Ferry to avoid more deaths.
The elders argued that the ferry channel has a bad omen hence needs cleansing. Kenya Ferry Services has already purchased three cows for the tambiko ritual to be performed at the Ferry, the Star reports. The elders advocated for the cleansing of the channel to make it safe, adding that dark spirits that led to the 1994 tragedy are still yearning for more blood.They insisted the only way to avoid trouble is to “pray and offer cows to the gods.”Some of the meat from the slaughtered animals will be shared among persons who will attend the ceremony while the rest will be drowned.The Mijikenda traditions also warn against carrying the meat to homes after the ceremony.The demands of the elders come two days after President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto commissioned operations at the Ferry.Uhuru announced that two more ferries will soon arrive in Mombasa as KFS seeks to ease congestion at the channels.“Movement of people, goods and services has been a major hurdle to the development of the South Coast but we have embarked on a journey that will address that challenge,” he said.