Likoni ferry tragedy is a wake up call on maritime security

Kenyans are yet to recover from the horrific death of Mariam Kigenda and her four-year-old daughter Amanda Mutheu.

Without any rescue team on site, the two lives were snuffed in the most painful way.

Many aboard the disaster themed ferry watched in disbelief as mother and child took to the floor of the ocean.

Days later, the bodies of the victims are yet to be retrieved.

What is even more disheartening is that the family was forced to hire private divers to try and bring back their loved ones to the surface.

A tragedy of national magnitude consequently became a family affair.

The line government ministries and departments turned loudly silent or awfully under-prepared to provide logistical and professional support.

Disaster has become synonymous with breaking news in Kenya.

From crumbling buildings to ethnic clashes; Kenyans seem to be floating from one tragedy to another with little hope for a better tomorrow.

Kigenda’s tragedy is only another chapter in the too familiar underbelly of our national disaster preparedness.

This time, however, the incident also paints our incapacity to fully exploit the potential of the blue economy – an area where the government has stepped up rhetoric as the next frontier of national economic rejuvenation.

Tapping the potential of our waters is heavily dependent on having critical mass of adequately trained personnel of various cadres.

Beyond seafarers and engineers, as a country we must equally invest in people who can provide round-the-clock rescue missions in cases of emergencies.

If the country had only a semblance of ocean rescue team, we would not have lost Kigenda and her little angel.

One can only imagine what would happen if a similar incident involving even more Kenyans were to happen deep into the sea.

As the story unfolded, residents and civilian divers expressed dissatisfaction with the lackadaisical manner and attitude of the state in the wake of such incidents.

A man with long standing diving experience in the area said they had repeatedly been sidelined by local officials only to be called in the dead of the night when disaster strikes.

It revealed the cracks in mainstreaming of civilian voices, energy and talent in disaster management.

The said man even lamented that he could not be allowed to attend a blue economy forum, which was graced by President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Water safety is a critical component of blue economy activities and it is important that the responsible state departments both trained and equipped standing teams, which can expeditiously respond when disaster strikes.

Making our waters safe will be a key component of attracting foreign investments, while creating employment; both of which could hoist long-term and sustainable exploitation of the abundant marine resources lying in Kenyan waters.

Let the demise of Kigenda and her daughter jolt the government to undertake comprehensive reforms in our maritime security and safety.