Relief as Garissa private boats are allowed to operate as floods rage

Passengers willing to rave to and from Garissa can now breath a sign of relief after the government allowed boat owners to ferry them.

Government had banned private boats from operating after an overloaded boat capsized Sunday evening at Kona Punda as it ferried passengers across the flooded Garissa – Madogo road.

At least 20 people died.

The new arrangement is, however, under strict police supervision to avert overloading of the boats.

Boat operators have been allowed to ferry only 10 pessengers at a time.

Speaking to the press in Madogo area, Bangale Deputy County Commissioner Joseph Kipkorir operators should charge only Sh200.

He said the operators must also provide safety jackets for their passengers.

Those who wish to cross to either side must also register their details at a command centre before being allowed to board the boats, he added.

“We have first given priority to the 23 persons who were rescued from the boat that capsised. Further, those who were stranded while travelling to Wajir or other areas within Garissa county are also allowed to go,” Kipkorir said.

“There are also public servants here who work in Garissa and police officers, or those who have emergencies to attend to. We are currently allowing only these groups to go through,” he added.

Previously, the boats were charging at least Sh 1500 while overloading and ignoring the life safety jackets.

When the press visited the area, things were running smoothly as passengers lined up as they patiently waited to board the boats.

Police were also present to ensure that the exercise goes on smoothly.

Ahmed Ali, a passenger who was travelling to Wajir, could not hide his joy saying that at some point, he thought of travelling back to Nairobi.

“I was today thinking of looking for vehicle to take me back to Nairobi before looking for a place to go to my home county Wajir. It could have been very expensive for me but my options were limited because I'm supposed to be at work on Friday,” he said.

Tutus Kilonzo who works in Garissa said the new arrangement was welcome.

He, however, called on the police to make sure that the boat owners do not carry excess passengers which may result in a tragedy similar to the one that occurred recently.

Meanwhile, three boats from the Kenya Coast Guard, the Kenya Red Cross and the Tana River county government are still searching for the bodies of the victims who died in the boat accident.

So far, seven bodies have been recovered while at least six others are still missing.

The military said on Wednesday morning that it had deployed its divers to help retrieve the bodies.

"Following a boat tragedy where 20 people lost their lives while trying to cross a flooded section of the Nairobi-Garrisa Road, the Kenya Navy today dispatched a team of divers and marines to the tragedy area to assist in the recovery of the missing bodies," KDF said in a statement.

On Tuesday, Principal Secretary for ASALs and Regional Development Kello Harsama while speaking in Madogo said the government will support Kenyans affected by the ongoing floods with relief food.