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Mtongwe ferry services resume after three-month suspension

ferry

Ferry crossing the Mtongwe channel. FILE PHOTO | NMG

Ferry services at the Mtongwe Channel resumed on Wednesday, three months after they were suspended.

For the last three months, Mtongwe residents were forced to use the congested Likoni Channel, inconveniencing them.

The residents blamed the Kenya Ferry Services (KFS) for failure to sustain the services at the channel recommissioned by President Uhuru Kenyatta last March.

After the resumption of the services at 5am, the KFS said the services had been halted as a result of operational challenges.

The residents said they were relieved by the deployment of MV Likoni to operate at the channel.

Commuters said using the Likoni Channel cost them time and money.

“We just thank KFS for resuming services here but we hope the ferry will not just operate for few weeks before services are suspended again,” said a resident, Paul Oganga.

READ: Mtongwe ferry services suspended again

ALSO READ: Mtongwe left without ferry services for three months after relaunch

Transport costs

Another commuter, Moses Mwadime, said the resumption of the services will help him cut transport costs.

“I have been using Sh100 daily for transport when I was using the Likoni Channel, which I will be able to save if the services are sustained here as I require no bus fare when I use the channel,” said Mr Mwadime who works at the Mombasa port, which is few metres from the Mongwe Channel Island jetty.

In an interview with the Business Daily at the KFS dockyard, managing director Bakari Gowa assured the residents that operations will be conducted “with minimal interruptions if any”.

“We know we have been having issues but we are now set and I want to assure our users that from now henceforth, there will be no suspension of services.

"We have enough ferries to serve our users,” said Mr Gowa who was flanked by KFS board chairman Ramadhan Kajembe.

READ: Likoni channel commuters to wait longer for new ferry

Congestion

He said the MV Likoni, which was operating at the busy Likoni Channel in the last three months will now be strictly used by Mtongwe users.

He said the ferry had been taken to the Likoni channel to assist in dealing with congestion during the December holidays.

“During the holidays alone we had up to 350,000 people and 7,500 vehicles using the Likoni channel daily. We are still experiencing an increase of the users but we have the four ferries which are able to serve them,” said Mr Gowa.