Officials in Mombasa recovered two bodies after a tragic boat racing accident during the East African Oceanic Festival held at Tudor.
Police said three people were missing after the incident on Friday, October 10, 2025.
Two bodies were recovered while a third one was yet to be found by Saturday, police said.
The three victims were among 22 participants of the racing event who were involved in the incident. Out of the 22, 19 were rescued, while a joint operation involving both county and national government agencies continues in search of the remaining missing person.
Mombasa County Police Commander Peter Kimani said all efforts were being coordinated to ensure the remaining body is retrieved.
Nine teams were participating in the racing event. They included the Kenya Navy, Coast Guard, Maritime, Tourist Police, Kijiweni Youth Group, Mudhuba, BMU Mushomoroni, Bandari, TUMW, and Burhani Sports.
Witnesses said the teams reached the knockout stage and saw three of them with 22 participants on each of them compete.
They included Burhani, Kijiweni Youth, and Tourist Police.
It was while in competition and near the finishing line that the Kijiweni Youth group allegedly got excited and stood up as the boat was still in motion.
The boat lost its balance and capsized before the 19 were rescued, while three drowned.
It took hours to find the two bodies while the search for the third victim continued on Saturday.
Kimani said that with the festive season approaching, adequate safety measures have been put in place to safeguard residents and visitors.
