Motorists heading to the mainland parts of Mombasa on Thursday morning experienced major traffic snarl-ups after the Likoni Ferry services experienced major vessel breakdowns.
The snarl-ups, which caused delays, witnessed chaotic scenes as thousands of residents who depend on the services of the ferries attempted to force their way onboard a nearby vessel.
Attempts by law enforcement agencies to contain the tense situation proved futile, as the crowd overwhelmed the officers.
Motorists were forced to take alternative routes as the Dongo Kundu Bypass, in an attempt to save time.
Leaders from the region, led by nominated Senator Miraj Abdalla, faulted the management of the ferries for their silence on the matter while urging caution among the users.
''This is to bring to your attention that we've got major vessel breakdowns this morning. Thus, only two ferries are in operation. To avoid inconveniences, motorists kindly use the Dongo Kundu Bypass, as we provide priority to pedestrian traffic for safety reasons. Apologies for the inconvenience caused,'' Miraj cautioned.
''This is the situation we are having at Likoni Ferry as we speak; surely, who is going to enlighten us more about what the problem is?''
Images and videos obtained by Kenyans.co.ke showed scores of residents crowding to use the ferry, seemingly oblivious to the imminent danger despite the chaos around them.
This is not the first time Likoni Ferry services have come under scrutiny. On the morning of Wednesday, February 5, business was disrupted after ferry users clashed with security officers who attempted to block them from boarding.
The incident left three private security officers injured. They were rushed to different hospitals for treatment.
Meanwhile, at the time of publishing, neither the County Government of Mombasa nor the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) had released a statement on the incident leading to the breakdown of the vessels.
