The much-awaited MV Safari ferry finally arrived in Mombasa on Saturday, April 25 after leaving Turkey in early February 2020.
The ferry was one of two procured at a cost of Ksh2 billion by the government when it signed a contract on June 27, 2015.
The other ferry, MV Jambo, which has the capacity of up to 1,350 passengers and 60 vehicles was delivered in July 2017.
A Kenya Ferry official was glad to see the vessel dock at Mombasa, "We are here today at Mbaraki Wharf to see MV Safari, it's a new ferry that people were expecting since yesterday.
"It has been a long journey as you are aware the sister ferry arrived in July 2017, now the sister ferry MV Safari is with us here today," he expressed.
He also revealed that MV Safari has a similar capacity to MV Jambo which on normal situations can accommodate a total of 1,359 people, 12 persons with disability and 64 vehicles.
Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic in the country, the ferry will be allowed to carry 1,000 people in accordance with the government's social distancing directive.
The Kenya Ferry official noted that members of the public will have to wait before they can be able to use MV Safari as it will undergo some checks.
"For now as you are aware, we cannot use the ferry immediately. It will have to go under some checking, the ferry itself, the crew on board so we'll wait until we get the Covid-19 status of the crew on board.
"Thereafter the other processes will follow which include the final inspection of the ferry, also sea trials and thereafter fumigation of the vessel," the staff explained.
Ozata Shipyard, where the ferry was built, revealed that the vessel can travel at a maximum speed of eight knots.
Other ferries in service in Mombasa are MV Kwale, MV Likoni, MV Kilindini, MV Harambee and MV Nyayo.
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