Missing Garsen, Galole MPs are safe, Interior CS Kindiki says
One of the last pictures shared by group, that included MPs Ali Wario (Garsen) and his Galole counterpart Said Buya Hiribae, before they set for the humanitarian mission on a motorboat in River Tana.
Garsen MP Ali Wario Guyo and Galole counterpart Hiribae Said Buya who were on Saturday reported missing after leaving for a food distribution exercise in Tana Delta Sub-County on a motorboat are safe.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki said that all the 18 people who were on the boat are reportedly safe at a yet-to-be-established location.
“Security agencies have established contact with a passenger in the boat that went missing earlier this evening in the waters of Tana River. All the eighteen passengers and crew are so far safe but are stranded at a yet-to-be-established location. A multi-agency search and rescue mission spearheaded by the Kenya Coast Guard is underway,” Prof Kindiki said on Saturday.
According to the Kenya Red Cross Regional Coordinator, Hassan Musa, the two MPs were in a team of about 20 people, including some Members of the County Assembly.
Among other politicians in the missing boat include Kinakomba MCA Hamid Babusa, Garsen North MCA Semi Dumba, and nominated MCA Haoddo.
The team left Idsowe village at 10am on a motorboat for a humanitarian mission in Mlima Abo but their whereabouts now remain unknown.
By 7pm, the motorboat had not returned when another team on a different boat touched base at Garsen.
“The boat, with 20 occupants, left for the humanitarian mission and was supposed to link up with another team. But to this moment their whereabouts remain unknown," he said.
Tana Delta OCPD Salim Fundi confirmed the reports, adding that a search team has been dispatched.
According to Mr Musa, the group in the missing boat chose to take a shortcut to Garsen, in the process parting ways with the flanking team.
It is suspected that the shortcut may have led the team into rough waters or an unfamiliar tributary.
The team has been running rescue missions on a private boat along the River Tana that has since broken its banks.
So far, 54 villages have reportedly been affected by the river's spillage, with 1500 more households having been displaced.
The Minjila-Lamu Lappset road has since been declared impassable by the Kenya National Highways Authority (KenHA) after it was flooded on Saturday morning.
Earlier, a section of Tana River leaders, led by Senator Danson Mungatana, asked the government to deploy naval boats to rescue villagers who are stranded in flood waters.
