A Kenya Power Company employee has narrated his encounter with President Uhuru during their boat ride in the Indian Ocean in December 2020.
In a profile released by Kenya Power, popularly known by its NSE ticker KPLC, on Thursday, May 27, Captain Khatmi Famau disclosed that he felt honoured when he was chosen to steer the boat that Uhuru and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed were to ride in.
The two Heads of State were on a tour of the Lamu Port-South Sudan Ethiopia Transport (Lapsset) corridor projects in the region.
“I felt honoured to be chosen for that noble task, I became the first captain in Lamu to ever ferry heads of state. It was such an exhilarating moment,” stated Famau.
He was ferrying the duo from the mainland to an island that could only be accessed by the boat and the journey often takes three hours.
Famau steers one of the two boats bought by KPLC in December 2009. The company owns and operates two identical vessels: Stima 1 in Lamu and Stima 2 in Mfangano Island.
Being the only Kenya Power coxswain in Lamu, Capt. Famau wakes up at around 5 a.m. and assists his wife to prepare their son for school before leaving for the office at 6:30 a.m.
“Once I arrive, I check the boat to ensure all is well and if it has enough fuel or if any of its parts need to be repaired.
“I also get involved in network management on days that I am not operating the boat. I have gained extensive experience and I’m currently pursuing a certificate in electrical power options at Lamu Vocational Training Institute,” stated the captain.
He harboured the dream to steer sea vessels from his childhood when he would go fishing alongside his father.
The Lamu native joined Kenya Power in November 2019 as a coxswain after working for the area county government for about one year.
Famau has also worked with a private Chinese company as a boat operator in Kenya and Uganda and has likewise been a helmsman for several commercial boats.
He has also worked as a trainee marine pilot at the Kenya Ports Authority where he was engaged in guiding gigantic ships, tag boats, and pilot boats. He is a graduate of the Bandari Maritime Academy in Mombasa.
During the Lapsset tour, the two heads of state agreed to work together in boosting the infrastructure of the two countries.
“The Ethiopian government has committed to ensure Kenya is supplied with adequate electricity from Ethiopia as a means for us to commit to the project. Apart from that, we are also doing our road networks to ensure there is a seamless connectivity to boost intra-trade in the region,” stated Abiy.
