There is a notable improvement in the water transport sector in Lamu County when three key jetties were completed for Sh155 million.
Jetties are a crucial arm of Lamu’s water transport system as they are the main entry and exit points for passengers and cargo getting to Lamu town and adjacent islands.
Among the three jetties are the Manda Airport one, worth Sh48 million, and one at the Lamu Mangrove Terminal, worth Sh35 million. Both are in the Lamu West sub-county.
All the three underwent a whole year of renovation and expansion before being commissioned at an event presided over by Transport and Infrastructure Chief Administrative Secretary Wavinya Ndeti in August last year.
About a year down the line, the three facilities have revolutionised water transport, with more sea users now using the amenities. Previously, because of limited space, boat operators had to contend with long queues while waiting for their turn to load or offload cargo and passengers.
Speaking to Nation.Africa on Sunday, Lamu Boat Operators Association chair Hassan Awadh acknowledged a great reduction in the number of boat accidents in jetty areas since they were refurbished a year ago.
“Before the jetties were reconstructed, we used to risk our lives and those of our passengers. Our boats didn’t have anywhere to anchor during pickups and drop-offs of passengers and luggage on Lamu and other islands. We now enjoy the new facilities. The water transport sector here has greatly improved. The number of boat operators has in fact doubled,” Mr Awadh said.
A section of the Sh35 million Lamu Mangrove Terminal Jetty in Lamu Town. It is also part of the Sh155 million jetties constructed by the State in the region.
Photo credit: Kalume Kazungu | Nation Media Group
Yusuf Musa, a coxswain plying the Lamu-Mokowe, Lamu-Shela, and Lamu-Manda Airport routes, said he can now make over 10 trips a day carrying passengers unlike before, when they made just two or three trips because of the dilapidated jetties.
Mr Yusuf said before jetties like Mtangawanda were renovated, they sometimes carried passengers on their shoulders and backs to help them cross over to the jetty, wasting a lot of time.
In August 2018, the Mtangawanda jetty hit the headlines when 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 was not recovered, prompting the national government to move in and rebuild the Lamu jetties.
“We used to carry our passengers to shore, which is risky. One can easily lose their step and plunge into the ocean. We’re now happy that our jetties have been rehabilitated and expanded. It’s easier for us to ferry and offload cargo and passengers in these jetties, because we have enough space to do so,” said Mr Musa.
They include the Sh599 million Mokowe Customs jetty and a planned one at Lamu King Fahad County Hospital.
Boat operators say the contractor for the Mokowe Customs jetty, the biggest in the region, is slow and has failed to consider that the facility is the only means of loading and unloading passengers and cargo in Mokowe.
“We are aware the Mokowe jetty was supposed to be completed before the end of 2020. That wasn’t achieved. They set another end date of February this year but they also failed to deliver the project. They are too slow. We need the jetty to be completed quickly,” said Aboud Fadhil.
The jetty is designed to have a large waiting bay, a mini petrol station and a special ramp for wheelchair users and others with disabilities.
