Likoni ferry sex pests assault female passengers

The ferry service in Mombasa has been turned into a breeding ground for male sex pests who fondle female passengers without care.

The problem is so serious that the Mombasa County government and the Kenya Ferry Services (KFS) are pushing for the separation of the sexes, children included. 

Officials at the Likoni channel crossing confirmed that sexual assault of women go unreported with only a few being reported by third parties.

The ferries operate for 24 hours and carry across more than 300,000 passengers and 6,000 vehicles daily, with mornings and evenings being the peak hours and highly congested. It is during the peak time when the sex pests reportedly strike.

KFS managing director Bakari Gowa recalls only two incidents in 2009 when a suspect was jailed for a year and in 2011, when another was arraigned in court, but the outcome was unclear.

One-time Starehe MP Maina Kamanda was shocked when he led a parliamentary committee on transport and infrastructure on a visit to the channel and was informed of an incident involving a woman whose dress was ‘soiled’ and she had to go home to change after the male victim had disappeared.

“Victims do not report the incidents for fear of public ridicule,” says Gowa. “We learn about most cases from third parties who volunteer information. However if people complain about something then there is truth in it.”

Workers at the ferry told The Nairobian that perpetrators wait until the vessel is crowded before moving in on their victims. They apparently hide their actions by wearing oversized shirts or with newspapers. Others board the ferries with unzipped trousers, their indecent aim greatly helped by the pushing and shoving.

The county assembly’s committee on public works and transport is now pushing for the separation of the sexes to end the issue of sex predators with committee chair Amir Thoya saying they passed a motion in February this year to address sexual harassment and “we expect the board of directors under chairman Ramadhan Kajembe to give us the way forward on this matter. KFS are the implementers and we believe they are committed to this matter going by our last meeting in July this year.”

However, Gowa argues that it’s impractical to separate the sexes for now as the national government has given KFS Sh250 million to install cameras to catch sex pests and criminals “and the project will be fully rolled out by the end of the year.

“We have already separated women and children from men at the waiting bays, but we find it difficult to separate them inside the ferries because of the large numbers involved.”

The separation could further lead to congestion, resulting in delays. It could lead to a situation where a man is separated from his children, which could further pose another challenge, with Likoni MP Masoud Mwahima arguing that “it takes an abnormal man to allow a dear wife to be placed on a different ferry.” 

The KFS management has since separated women, children, the old and sick from able-bodied men in the waiting bays to shield them from stampedes during the rush-hour to board vessels among them MV Nyayo, MV Kilindini, MV Likoni, MV Kwale and MV Harambee.

Mombasa County government has set aside Sh100 million to acquire another ferry to serve the Mtongwe channel next year.