Fury over safety lapses in Mombasa boat tragedy

“I have seen him, it is my son. My only son, Caleb,” said his mother, Janet Adhiambo, as she broke down upon seeing the body.

This came as Deputy President Kithure Kindiki visited the scene to console with the bereaved. He promised government support for the three families of the victims.

The search for three young men entered its third day yesterday, with relatives demanding accountability from the organisers, accusing them of negligence and poor safety measures that may have cost their loved ones’ lives.

The tragedy occurred during the final leg of the competition, one of the main attractions of the three-day festival held at Fort Jesus and the Tudor Water Sports Club.

Nineteen of the 22 participants from the Kijiweni Youth Uplift Team were rescued after the boat overturned mid-race. However, three—Steven Karembo Ngowa, 23; Tom Wanyonyi, 21; and Otieno, 21—drowned.

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Mombasa Chief Fire Officer Ibrahim Basafar said the search operation was led by a Navy commander. Bereaved families had been camping by the shores, watching the operation in despair.

“My brother is Steven, popularly known as Lavosty. He was the only boy in our family. He had a pregnant wife. He was just hustling for his family,” said Lilian Karembo, struggling to hold back tears.

Her mother, Joyce Damah, wept uncontrollably as she spoke. “This is the third day I haven’t seen my child. He didn’t know how to swim. It is painful. We want to meet with the organisers of this event. They haven’t contacted us since the tragedy,” she said.

Bereaved families questioned the organisers’ safety measures, claiming that participants were allowed to compete without life jackets. Jemimah Akinyi—Otieno’s aunt—said her son narrowly escaped on the same boat. “How come they practised while wearing life jackets, yet on race day they had none? We want the organisers to explain this.”

Otieno’s mother described him as a hardworking young man from the Bangladesh who earned a living carrying stones, sand, and building blocks for construction workers in the Bangala area.

“Whenever he made some money, he would bring me milk and bread and say, ‘Mum, I’ve started making a living,’” she recalled tearfully. “Why did they let our children into the water without safety gear, just to compete for Sh300,000?”

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For Lydia Nyange, the pain of losing her lastborn, Wanyonyi, was unbearable. “My son did not know how to swim,” she said. “I always thought he would be the one to bury me, not the other way round.”

She described Wanyonyi as a promising footballer.

“Why did they let our children into the water without safety gear, just to compete for Sh300,000?”

For Lydia Nyange, the pain of losing her lastborn, Wanyonyi, popularly called Tommy Lee Sparta, is unbearable. “My son didn’t know how to swim,” she said.

“I knew he would be the one to bury me, not the other way round,” she added, revealing that he was a promising footballer who started playing at the age of two.

“Who facilitated their transport from Bangala to Tudor Creek? Why should this happen?” she asked, breaking down. “His father died when he was five. I have struggled raising him all these years.”

Mombasa Chief Fire Officer Ibrahim Basafar said the search and rescue mission was being led by a Navy commander and involved more than 14 search boats patrolling the creek from Moroto Slum through Jomvu to Nyali Bridge.

“Drone surveillance has also been deployed to help trace the bodies from above,” he said.

Additional units from the Kenya Defence Forces, KCGS, and Red Berets were deployed on Sunday to reinforce the operation, as tensions rose among family members demanding quicker results.

In a statement issued to the media on Sunday, the East African Ocean Festival (TEAOF) Organising Committee said it was cooperating fully with rescue agencies.

“Our hearts go out to the families, friends, and teammates of the Kijiweni Youth Uplift Team members affected by this tragedy. We continue to stand in solidarity with them during this extremely difficult time,” the statement read in part.

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The organisers said the incident occurred during the final race of the day, after three successful dragon boat rounds involving 225 participants from various coastal teams.

They insisted that a comprehensive safety operation was in place, led by the Kenya Navy, KCGS, and Kenya Maritime Authority, with medical and paramedic teams stationed on-site.

“All participants received safety briefings, certified life jackets, and took part in safety drills,” the statement added, noting that all festival activities had since been suspended out of respect for those affected.

TEAOF also said it had provided meals, water, and psychological support to families, while covering all medical expenses for rescued participants.

Despite the assurances, families continue to express doubt over the organisers’ version of events, insisting that safety lapses led to the deaths.

“They say there were life jackets, but our children had none,” Ms Adhiambo said. “If safety measures were really followed, why are we mourning?”