President Uhuru Kenyatta and Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala
aboard a ferry when they crossed the Likoni channel in Mombasa County.
PHOTO | SAMUEL MIRING'U
By BDAfrica.com WRITER
In Summary
- The ferry services at Likoni have had several challenges as a result of frequent mechanical breakdown of the old vessels.
President Uhuru Kenyatta on Monday visited the Kenya
Ferry Services (KFS) headquarters where he held a meeting with senior
officials amid a financial crisis that has forced the firm to operate
vessels with engine problems over the Likoni channel.
Mr Kenyatta also conducted a tour of the parastatal's
offices in Mombasa County accompanied by Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib
Balala and KFS officials.
The ferry services at Likoni have had several
challenges as a result of frequent mechanical breakdown of the old
vessels and their costly maintenance, inconveniencing thousands of
passengers who use them to cross the Indian Ocean.
As of this week, there were four ferries in
operation- the MV Nyayo, MV Likoni, MV Kwale and the MV Kilindini - with
the MV Harambee not being operational.
Approximately 300,000 people and 5,000 vehicles use the ferry on a daily basis.
Plans are underway to construct the Dongo Kundu
bypass linking Mombasa port with the main highway to Nairobi in a bid to
decongest traffic around the port. The road will pass south of the Moi
International Airport and west of the Port Reitz harbour before turning
south.
The Ministry of Transport also aims to increase
connectivity to mainland Mombasa through the installation of cable cars
across the Likoni channel. The privately-funded project is expected to
help in reducing logjams at the ferry crossing and boost tourism to the
South Coast.
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