Efforts to recover the bodies of Mariam Kighenda and her daughter Amanda Mutheu who drowned at the Likoni channel last Sunday entered the eighth day yesterday.
State agencies involved in the operation have been in a spot, even as the affected family continues to hold onto hope, with no indication that the bodies will be located in the ocean.
Last Friday was an anticlimax after Swedish scuba diver and whale shark expert Volker Bassen, who had raised hope for recovery, failed to deliver.
Yesterday, it was revealed that a team from South African had been hired by the deceased's family for Sh2 million, an amount donated by Governor Hassan Joho.
Mr Bassen, like other divers before him, blamed lack of visibility for the difficulty in making the recovery.
The State has imposed tight information flow amid fears adverse publicity could surly this year’s Mashujaa Day celebrations at the nearby Mama Ngina Gardens. Yesterday heavy rains also interrupted the search, as the multi-agency team could not venture into the channel.
Strong waves
The team also complained of strong waves, muddy water as a result of siltation and the fact that the accident occurred in the middle of the busy shipping channel that is also used by the ferries to transport passengers and vehicles between the south mainland and Mombasa island.
And there are widespread fears that fierce bull sharks lurk at the depth where the car is believed to be trapped.
There are reports that the Kenya Navy, Kenya Ports Authority, Kenya Coast Guard and Kenya Marine Fisheries and Research Institute, which are part of the multi-agency team on site, lack special equipment.
On Saturday, Transport CS James Macharia visited the site and announced: “We have another team coming from South Africa in a few days’ time." This sparked suspicion that the Kenyan team was unable to execute the recovery.
Last Thursday, the Ministry of Transport dispatched Principal Secretary Esther Koimet to co-ordinate the search operation after differences between agencies involved emerged.
Evidence of uncoordinated rescue mission emerged after private divers hired by the family abandoned the mission citing frustration by State agencies.
On Friday, Government Spokesman Cyrus Oguna said all private divers ready to assist or hired must work under the Kenya Navy.
