Navy officers killed in separate accidents

By Standard Reporters

Four navy officers have perished in two separate accidents in a span of 24 hours.

In one incident, two soldiers died when their boat capsized at the English Point near State House, Mombasa, on Monday.

A third navy official went missing after the incident and efforts to get him were ongoing by Monday evening. The two soldiers died when the fast craft they were manning capsized.

They were in a group of four others on routine patrol at sea behind State House. The deceased are said to have been new in the force.

The rescued officers are recuperating at a Mombasa hospital.

When The Standard approached the accident scene on Monday morning, divers from the Kenya Navy and Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) were scouring the waters.

A KPA pilot boat and a Kenya Navy tugboat christened Imara were patrolling the waters near the scene. Navy divers from the Clearance Diving Unit were also present.

Overturned

Coast PPO King’ori Mwangi refused to comment on the incident.

"Please talk to the Kenya navy," he said.

The Military Assistant to the Chief of General Staff Gen Jeremiah Kianga referred us to Military Spokesman Bogita Ongeri.

But Ongeri could not comment, saying he was on leave. He referred us to a Col Boyon.

"I am leaving for studies abroad and I am thus not in the know of what might have transpired," Boyon said when reached on the telephone.

Telephone contacts of one Mr Charles Mutai whom we were told to get in touch with went unanswered.

In a separate accident, two Navy fire fighters died after their fire engine overturned at Msambweni trading centre on Sunday.

Two other officers were seriously injured and admitted at the Msambweni District Hospital.

The minister for East Africa Community Amsaon Kingi said: "Today is a sad day for the Kenya Navy".