Parliament gives new ferries green light

By Patrick Beja

Parliament has given the two new ferries delivered from Germany this month a clean bill of health.

The Parliamentary Departmental Committee on Transport, Public Works and Housing said MV Kwale and MV Likoni undergoing test operations were built to the Government specification.

Chairman David Were said they have confirmed each ferry has a capacity to carry 1,500 vehicles and that they are fast.

Speaking after inspecting the vessels yesterday, Were said the engines are in good condition and the sizes were right.

The ferries arrived into the country last week, through South Africa, to avoid the piracy-prone Gulf of Eden. Transport Assistant Minister Harun Mwau travelled to Germany and was part of the team that designed the route for the safe arrival of the two ferries that will serve the Likoni Crossing.

Were explained that the variation of the purchase price for the ferries from Sh900 million to Sh1.3 billion was as a result of change in the sizes of one vessel was initially designed to be smaller. "Initially one ferry was to be smaller than the other but they were later made the same size. That is why there is variation in the purchase price for the two ferries," Were said.

MPs Edwin Yinda, Walter Nyambati, Boaz Kaino, Benjamin Langat, Yusuf Chanzu, and Isaac Muoki, accompanied Were.