The Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) on Tuesday, January 11, announced that it had acquired a state-of-the-art multipurpose water vessel whose main functions include fire fighting.
In a statement, the state corporation noted that the tugboat RAstar 4200, dubbed Mwokozi 2, was built in Turkey and acquired at a cost of Ksh1.9 billion.
The authority added that the boat will also be used for salvage operations in the Indian ocean to help big ships that get stuck during their voyage.
"Port of Mombasa today received a new state-of-the-art tugboat RAstar 4200 built-in Turkey at a cost of Ksh1.9 billion. The high-performance Azimuth Stern Driven (ASD) tug christened Mwokozi 2 joins KPA fleet of tugboats to primarily offer salvage and harbour operations."
"Equipped with excellent maneuverability and packing a hefty 120 tonnes of bollard pull, the vessel with a length overall of 42 metres and maximum draft of 7.2 metres will deliver enhanced towing and ship handling services for vessels stuck at sea or with mechanical problems," read the statement in part.
While receiving the boat, KPA General Manager for Operations and Habour, Sudi Mwasingo, stated that the move was economical as the government would save on the cost they incurred when hiring similar boats from other countries.
Additionally, he revealed that other countries had expressed interest in hiring the state of the art equipment from the state corporation.
"Most importantly this is a salvage tag that is capable of doing salvage operations on ships in distress. By having this tugboat available, we will be able to salvage ships that have problems in the region including Mauritius.
“This is a tug that can even be chartered and we are getting reports that countries like Oman and Qatar also want to charter this salvage tag," he stated
According to the boats’ manufacturer, Med Marine, the RA4200 is one of the most powerful firefighting machines in the world and is recognised for its extensive water spraying qualities.
The tugboat has two tanks for fuel and fresh water. The fuel tank has a capacity of 503 cubic meters can can hold fuel amounting to 509,000 litres of petrol while the water tank can hold 96,400 litres of water.
In addition, the vessel can accommodate 18 people and has cabins for various crew members.
"Accommodation for 18 people, high-quality and great comfort. Accommodation is climate-controlled and includes two master’s cabins, two chief’s cabins, and seven crew cabins," Med Marine stated.
