Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko, on Monday, September 30, offered aid to the kin and friends of the victims of the Likoni Ferry tragedy.
Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke, Sonko's communications director, Jacob Elkana, stated that the governor had sent a handful of expert divers to the scene of the accident.
Using a chartered flight, Sonko's rescue departed from Nairobi at around 5:48 p.m. with the Moi International Airport in Mombasa keyed in as their final destination.
The emergency team was deployed to aid in recovery operations at the scene of the accident which led to the untimely death of Mariam Kigenda, 35, and her daughter 4-year-old daughter, Amanda Muthe.
The two perished in a bizarre mishap at the Likoni crossing channel in Mombasa when their vehicle plunged into the Indian Ocean after sliding off the MV Harambee Ferry Vessel on Sunday, September 29, 2019.
Sonko's move comes after close friends and family to the deceased made a desperate plea for anyone to help them retrieve the body of their loved ones.
"Since yesterday up until now, there has been no action. We haven't seen any divers at the scene. We were asked to pay for a taxi to bring a special diver to help out but so far, nothing has happened," Miriam Kalekye - the late Kigenda's close friend, decried.
On their part, the Kenya Ferry Services maintained that they were following proper protocol, with their Managing Director, Bakari Gowa adding that they had sought help from a private firm.
He went on to reveal that they had also sought assistance from the Kenyan Navy, as the equipment at the ferry services' disposal could not be used in the rescue operation.
According to reports by NTV, this was because their equipment was only cleared to dive to a depth of 30m, while the vehicle had sunk to a depth of about 60m.
