The construction of the Sh599 million Mokowe customs jetty in Lamu County has delayed for over four months now.
The project, which is being undertaken by the national government, was initiated in 2019. It was to be ready by February 2021 but currently, the project is at 65 per cent complete.
Speaking to nation.africa, Chief Structural Engineer in the State Department of Public Works Hillary Nyaanga said construction works at the jetty was ongoing with the entire project expected to be completed by August this year.
Mr Nyaanga cited the Covid-19 pandemic as the key reason behind the delay in the completion of the project.
“Construction of the Mokowe Customs jetty is progressing well. Yes, it was to be completed in December 2020 but we extended it to February this year. We still couldn't complete the construction. Currently, we are at 65 percent. I am confident by August this year, the jetty will be ready,” said Mr Nyaanga.
Apart from the Mokowe customs jetty, the national government has also undertaken and completed three other key jetties in Lamu, which were structurally unsound.
They include the Sh72 million Mtangawanda jetty, the Sh48 million Manda Airport jetty, and the Sh35 million Lamu mangrove terminal jetty.
This year, the national government also announced plans to construct a new jetty at the Lamu King Fahad County Hospital to aid ease movement of personnel and patients coming in and out of the facility.
So far, no construction works have taken place for the planned King Fahad jetty with members of the public insisting on the need for speedy construction of the facility.
“Let the government prioritise building the King Fahad Hospital jetty. They told us they will start very soon but months have now elapsed and nothing is happening. It’s challenging and dangerous for us to continue using the current structure which is in a dilapidated state,” said Mr Ali Mashaua, an elder in Lamu Town.
Jetties are a crucial element of Lamu’s water transport system as they are the main entry and exit points for passengers and cargo coming to Lamu Town and adjacent islands.
The Mokowe customs jetty, for instance, is the largest of all the other jetties across Lamu County.
The jetty is being built uniquely as it is the only facility in the county that will have a large waiting bay and a mini-petrol station.
The construction and completion of all the intended jetties will be a relief for the thousands of water transport users across the Lamu archipelago who have for years been forced to contend with the uncomfortable situation of using dilapidated jetties.
In August 2018, Mtangawanda Jetty hit the headlines after a pontoon detached from its piles and disappeared into the Indian Ocean.
A pontoon is a floatable heavy metal device that is connected to jetties and used as a landing site for those boarding and alighting from boats.
The pontoon has never been recovered to date, a move that prompted the national government to move in and construct the Lamu jetties.
