The government of Kenya has paid a high price after the death of a woman and her daughter following Likoni ferry accident on the evening of Sunday, September 29.
According to a report by K24 TV, the state's lack of proper safety equipment forced them to acquire some from a South African firm on a whim.
Coast Regional Coordinator John Elungata had earlier explained that attempts to retrieve the deceaseds' bodies were thwarted by lack of proper equipment.
This, he continued, forced the state to make the impromptu purchases on Tuesday, September 30, in order to pull the car from the bottom of the ocean.
Mariam Kigenda Taita, 35, and her daughter, aged four years, passed away after their car slid off MV Harambee Ferry in Likoni.
The family and friends of the deceased camped in Likoni and gave a passionate appeal to the government to retrieve the bodies of their loved ones.
Speaking to NTV, Miriam Kalekye, a close friend of the deceased, lamented over laxity on the part of the Kenya Ferry Services (KFS) in response to the tragedy.
"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," she decried at the time.
The latest information from the KFS Managing Director, Bakari Gowa, was that they had hired a private firm of experts to aid in the recovery of the vehicle as well as the victims.
