31 Years After MV Mtongwe, Likoni Commuters Still Ride on Rust and Fear

By Aggrey Barasa - On the morning of April 29, 1994, Kenya witnessed one of its darkest maritime tragedies. MV Mtongwe, a ferry designed to carry 90 passengers but modified to ferry 150, capsized just moments after leaving the dock, claiming 257 lives. 

That fateful day, the sea swallowed workers, mothers, fathers, and children, breadwinners who never made it to the island of Mombasa.

Survivors like Abdallah Mwalimu still shudder as they recount the horror. “I held onto one floater while trying to save five others,” he told KTN’s Saida Swaleh in a documentary filmed 12 years ago. The footage, still available on YouTube, is a stark reminder of the vulnerability faced by thousands who rely on ferry services every day.

Fast forward to 2025, 31 years later, the picture remains chillingly familiar.

As I write this from Mombasa, now in my third week of a twelve-week industrial attachment at the Port of Mombasa, I find myself crossing daily from my modest single-room rental in Likoni to the city via the very vessels that echo Mtongwe’s story. 

Among the fleet are two visibly aging ferries, MV Likoni and MV Harambee, believed to have been commissioned during the administrations of founding President Jomo Kenyatta or his successor, Daniel arap Moi.

These decades-old vessels creak and groan as they depart. Sometimes, they stall mid-journey. The more modern MV Jambo Mombasa and MV Safari Mombasa, introduced during President Uhuru Kenyatta’s tenure, are occasionally deployed not just to ferry passengers, but to literally jump-start their older counterparts, ramming their sides gently in the water to kick-start their motion.

“It’s a scary episode,” Moses, a daily commuter, tells me. “Especially when you remember what happened with MV Mtongwe. Our lives feel like they’re in the hands of fate.”

Indeed, the haunting memory of Mtongwe lingers in every screech of rusty steel and every panic-stricken face as the ferries sway against strong evening tides. 

Floaters, if present at all, are often tied above head, too few to serve the multitudes aboard. Cars, trucks, schoolchildren, and workers huddle close on the decks, each crossing a gamble.

A Time to Act

The Likoni crossing sees tens of thousands of passengers daily, a critical artery connecting Mombasa Island to the mainland. And yet, despite the population surge, infrastructure investment has lagged behind.

It is no longer just about remembering 1994. It is about preventing the next tragedy.

The current state of ferry transport, especially at the Likoni crossing, calls for more than reactive measures. It demands a deliberate and urgent intervention by the government and maritime authorities to prioritize the lives of Kenyan citizens who use these services daily.

First and foremost, the decommissioning of aging vessels like MV Likoni and MV Harambee should be non-negotiable. These ferries, rumored to have been purchased during the era of Kenya’s founding president or his immediate successor, have clearly outlived their useful life. 

Their frequent mechanical failures, inability to keep up with modern maritime standards, and the fear they instill in daily commuters make their continued operation a gamble on human lives. Replacing them with newer, more technologically advanced vessels is not just a matter of comfort, but of survival.

Secondly, the issue of life-saving equipment on board must be treated with the seriousness it deserves. As highlighted by survivors of the MV Mtongwe disaster, the lack of sufficient floaters made rescue efforts almost impossible. 

Today, three decades later, little has changed. It is not uncommon to board a ferry and find a few life jackets tied above one’s head, or worse, find none at all. 

This blatant disregard for safety is unacceptable. Every passenger, regardless of age, gender, or physical ability,  must have access to a properly maintained and easily reachable life jacket or floater. It should be part of the standard boarding protocol, just as seat belts are in a vehicle.

Additionally, the practice of overloading ferries must come to an end. Despite clear capacity guidelines provided by manufacturers, it is not unusual to see these vessels filled well beyond their safe limits, both with people and vehicles. Morning and evening rush hours often see frantic passengers crowding into the ferries, each eager to report to work or return home. 

This pressure, coupled with poor crowd management, leaves the crew with little choice but to take off with a dangerously overloaded deck. Authorities must enforce strict boarding limits and invest in more ferries to handle peak-hour demand without compromising safety.

Equally important is the installation of modern emergency response systems aboard all ferries. In an age where technology offers real-time solutions, every ferry should be equipped with up-to-date communication gadgets that can instantly signal distress to a central command. 

Rescue boats should be stationed nearby, not as a formality, but as ready-to-deploy emergency support teams. The delays witnessed in previous maritime emergencies have often stemmed from slow or uncoordinated responses, something technology and better preparedness can easily resolve.

Lastly, there is a critical need to raise awareness among ferry users about basic safety procedures and emergency response. Most passengers board ferries with little to no knowledge of what to do in the event of an emergency. 

Through signage, loudspeaker announcements, and occasional community sensitization forums, the Kenya Ferry Services and relevant government agencies can equip commuters with the knowledge to act swiftly and safely if disaster strikes. 

Teaching simple swimming skills, evacuation techniques, and even how to wear and use a life jacket can mean the difference between life and death.

If we fail to act now, we risk repeating history. The lessons from MV Mtongwe were paid for with lives,  257 of them. The responsibility lies with all of us, but mostly with those in leadership, to ensure that such a tragedy never happens again.

Aggrey Barasa is a global journalist currently contributing to the SABC, an accomplished writer and a student of a Bachelor's Degree in Biosafety and Biosecurity at Masinde Muliro university.