President Uhuru Kenyatta with his deputy William Ruto during the launch of the Mtongwe ferry. Photo/ PSCU
Persons living with disability have decried discrimination as the Mtongwe ferry services resume operation, five years after its closure.
Fred Oluoch, a Mombasa resident living with disability, has asked the government to address the issue, as the ferry can not be accessed by disabled persons.“We the people living with disability from this community are so heartbroken. The ramp being used to access the ferry from the mainland it’s not disability friendly, compared to the one we have at Likoni ferry,” said Oluoch.He said the ramp can not be accessed by individuals on wheelchairs, who depend on the ferry services."Its so painful to realise that the ramp which will be used is the same one that was set up 20 years ago. People with disability won't be able to use this channel,” said Abdallah Mwalimu, a survivor of the 1994 Mtongwe tragedy.They said vehicles and people living with disability will have no option but to use the Likoni ferry channel, due to current state of the timber ramp.