Questions as bodies of men who drown in Mombasa are retrieved from the ocean

Bodies of men who drown in Mombasa are retrieved from the ocean. [File, Standard] One of three victims who drowned in the Indian Ocean during the East African Ocean Festival in Mombasa's Tudor area was planning to travel to Canada after having secured a job. The 23-year-old Stephen Ngoa had obtained a passport and a letter of good conduct and was waiting for his cousin to finalise travel arrangements, including an air ticket. However, he hoped that the ticket would come after one week. In a week's time, Ngao's wife is scheduled to deliver their firstbornchild. His life and promising future drowned on Friday. His family yesterday said Ngoa was not a swimmer or a boat rider. It is not clear how the organisers of the event chose the participants. Meanwhile, questions abound as to why the participants did not wear life-saving jackets. Former Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA) Chairman Hamis Mwaguya was part of the organiser. KMA regulator that ensures all boats and passengers are in Kenya and safety standards are met. It is not clear if the police have summoned Mwaguya to explain the oversight or negligence. On Sunday, the organiser issued a statement blaming KMA for not providing the safety jackets. Governor Abdulsawamad Nassir said the county was not involved in the planning. On Sunday, Mwaguya accompanied Deputy President Kithure Kindiki to the scene of the accident but did not address the press. "He wanted to travel abroad and had successfully acquired a passport and good conduct and was waiting for his cousin to call him abroad for work. He was also getting ready to receive his first kid because the wife was due this week," said Ngoa's mother, Joyce Dama. Ngoa had been picked from his humble mud house in Mikindani alongside other youths from the informal settlement of Bangladesh to be part of the ocean sports event without being vetted if they met the qualifications. According to Dama, his only son, a third-born in a family of four, was not supposed to be at the competition in the first place. She said Ngoa's hobby was watching movies and football, and despite the ocean being a stone's throw away from their home, he never went swimming. "My son is not a swimmer and has never been a fan either. I want the organisers to come and explain how my son wound up at an ocean competition, yet he cannot swim. Were there no qualifications to be met, and why were there no safety measures in place?" said Dama. The mother (widowed) said that his son was humble and the only hope she had to lift her up from the life hardships. Dama said his son was always up and down doing menial jobs, and the little he earned, he shared between her and his wife, who is due in a week's time. "This is sad that my only son and hope is gone after schooling him and putting him through driving and finishing computer. He was doing any menial job to help fend for us. The little he got he would share with his wife and me," said Dama. She said that his son was enticed by the money that they were supposed to win as an award because he was always up and down to fend for his young family. "They took the boys without telling us parents, and because the boys had money to be won, he went. But we want the organisers to be held accountable. We still do not know who took them for the competition," said Dama. She said that his son was humble and loved farming and planting vegetables for home consumption. On the fateful day, Dama remembers his son's last words were a goodbye but did not disclose he was going out for an ocean competition. "I thank those who helped retrieve their bodies. We request for a post-mortem to be done before he is laid to rest. Let the organisers meet with us and tell us how it happened, and we want justice for our sons," said Dama. Yesterday Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir, who chairs the local county disaster team, blamed the organisers of the event for not involving the county government and warned that in the future such events will not take place without the permission of the county government. "The county government was neither involved nor gave the permit for the event. We were not involved, and that is why Deputy Governor Francis Thoya, who was to be the guest of honour, declined the invitation," said the Governor. Nassir said that the body of Caleb Otieno, 21, was recovered first in the early hours of yesterday before Stephen Karambo, 23, was found floating near Nyali Bridge. "The body of Caleb Otieno was recovered first near the scene of the accident, and after some hours the body of Stephen Karambo was seen floating near a hotel, while the body of Thomas Wanyonyi, 24, was retrieved below Nyali Bridge," said Nassir. The governor, who suspended the same event which was scheduled to continue again before the end of this, insisted they did not sponsor the event. He, however, welcomed those with good ideas about water games activities but asked them to work closely with the county government, which is a member of the disaster team, for the safety of the participants. Nassir said that to address the recurrence of water accidents, which are also common in various hotels in Mombasa swimming pools, his county government will establish a County Marine Inspectorate Unit with the County Enforcement Department. "As a county we have decided to employ some of the youths with skills in diving so that the county can be ready at any time because there was a recurrence of drowning in the ocean and swimming pools in various hotels," said Nassir. He said the county and national government will bear the cost of burial expenses. He said the deputy governor, Francis Thoya, will lead in the recruitment of the divers with immediate effect so that the county can have ready divers to help in saving lives.

Questions as bodies of men who drown in Mombasa are retrieved from the ocean

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