Improve safety on Lake Victoria

Fishermen at work in Lake Victoria within Homa Bay County [James Omoro, Standard]

A boat tragedy in Homa Bay, Lake Victoria, left nine people dead on September 21, 2021. The ill-fated boat was carrying 19 passengers. A team appointed by the government to establish the cause of the accident is yet to file a report.

The mishap is part of a chain of accidents that happen in the lake with alarming frequency. Most of the previously reported accidents were caused by overloading, poor maintenance of boats and paying little attention to weather forecasts.

Maritime authorities must take their duties seriously and ensure safety of passengers. Failure by passengers to put on lifejackets, carrying beyond capacity and the rickety state of some marine craft point to laxity in enforcing regulations by the Kenya Maritime Authority. We cannot continue to lose lives because someone is sleeping on the job. Maritime safety should be improved upon.