Recovery of the car from the Likoni ferry tragedy was staged, here's why

 

Everybody's talking about the rather sad and unfortunate incident that happened at the Likoni Ferry. My heart goes out to the relatives and close friends of the victims—my deep and sincere condolences.

Now, if you've been to Mombasa, chances are very high that you've been on the Likoni Ferry. Many people don't know this, but there are only three ways of getting onto Mombasa Island. One of them is the Likoni Ferry, the other is the Nyali Bridge, and finally, the man-made Kipevu Causeway, which you have to use if you're driving from Nairobi to Mombasa.

I've often heard people asking why they don’t build a bridge like the Nyali Bridge crossing from the island to the South Coast. The simple answer is that such a bridge, even if fairly high, would block ships from accessing the very busy Kilindini Harbor. So, for years, the government-owned Kenya Ferry Services has run a fairly efficient and safe ferry service that crosses from the island to the South Coast, taking you to Ukunda, Msambweni, and eventually to the Lunga Lunga border with Tanzania. It's roughly a one-and-a-half-hour drive from the Likoni Ferry, using a personal vehicle, to reach the border at Lunga Lunga and cross over to Horohoro in Tanzania.

This is a very busy part of Mombasa, and if ferry services are disrupted—which has happened on a few occasions—it becomes a national crisis. That’s how important the Likoni Ferry is.

Thank you for your patience because that background is very important. We need to understand the kind of pressures the folks at Kenya Ferry Services are under. Don’t get me wrong—I’m not trying to make excuses on their behalf because, currently, I can see the tell-tale signs of a cover-up. It should not be possible for a car to slide backward into the ocean from the ferry. That should never happen. The extreme front and back of the ferry are supposed to be lifted up as soon as the vehicles are all inside. That is a standard safety precaution.

I have been on the ferry when the waters were quite rough, and you could see the ferry being tossed up and down. It usually takes a little longer to cross from either side during such times. Mercifully, on all those occasions, as far as I can remember, both the back and front ends were raised, preventing any car from rolling off the ferry into the ocean.

On Sunday, however, the back was down when the vehicle of Mariam Kighenda, 35 years old, who was in the vehicle with her four-year-old daughter, slid into the ocean and submerged. The official police report says that the brakes of the vehicle, a Toyota Isis (KCB 289C), failed, causing the car to slide backward just as the ferry, MV Harambee, was about to dock on the other side.

To me, this kind of statement seems like an excuse, even before complaints have been lodged. The truth is, the ferry was not about to dock—it was roughly just past the center of the crossing. Saying it was “about to dock” creates the impression that the vehicle slid as the front was being lowered. But the vehicle was at the back of the ferry, and the back is not supposed to be lowered at any point during docking.

Unfortunately, another safety precaution was also not enforced. Motorists are usually advised to switch off their engines completely and exit their vehicles when on the ferry. Mombasa is very hot and humid, so it’s not practical to remain in your car with the engine off because you can’t run the air conditioning. Even if you don’t want to follow rules, the conditions often make it impractical to stay in your vehicle. Most motorists roll down their windows and remain inside, which is a compromise, albeit unsafe.

I must say, some motorists don’t want to mix with ordinary Kenyans who may not be fortunate enough to own a vehicle. I understand such behavior from a visitor or tourist, who may fear being robbed, but not from a local. Hopefully, going forward, and with this tragedy fresh in our minds, this particular safety precaution will be enforced, and the public will understand its importance. A car is not a perfect machine; it is made by the imperfect hands of man, and the same goes for a ferry. Bottom line: anything can happen. This is precisely why we have safety precautions and rules.

Let me quickly give you an example of a traffic rule very few people follow—maintaining a safe braking distance. This is something taught in every good driving school. However, driving on Kenyan roads, I’ve often experienced drivers tailgating because I maintain a safe distance from the car ahead of me. When they overtake, you hear insults.

About four months ago, a black SUV overtook me in an irritated manner, speeding at over 100 kilometers per hour. The driver clearly didn’t know about braking distance because, for several kilometers, he tailgated the car ahead before overtaking. Near Kikopey, where people stop to eat nyama choma, we saw that the SUV had rammed into another vehicle from the back. It looked bad. Instead of feeling self-righteous, I felt great pity because the consequences were devastating.

Rules are not there to inconvenience you. They could one day save your life.

Now, back to the Likoni accident. This wasn’t an issue of swimming. I saw someone on social media saying, “She should have taken swimming lessons.” That’s irrelevant in this case. The challenge Mariam Kighenda faced on Sunday is something that takes pilots and military personnel hours of specialized training to master. Getting out of a sinking vehicle or aircraft is incredibly difficult.

For starters, shortly after a vehicle hits the water, the doors encounter pressure of 600 pounds per square inch from the outside. Even the strongest person cannot open the door until the vehicle is fully submerged, and the pressure inside and outside balances. However, even then, many people fail for various reasons.

Experts advise the following steps if your car lands in water:

1. Open the windows as fast as possible, ideally before the car hits the water or immediately after.

2. Don’t panic (easier said than done). Take a deep breath and wait until the car is fully submerged.

3. Use the open window to escape. If the windows remain closed, break the side windows—not the windscreen, which is much thicker.

As of now, the vehicle and its occupants have not been recovered. This is not surprising, given that the Likoni channel is 55 meters deep at its deepest point.

My condolences once again to the families and friends of the bereaved. Remember, rules are not there to inconvenience you—they are there to save lives.

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