The tragic deaths of Mariam Kigenda and her four-year-old daughter Amanda Mutheu in September 2019 during a ferry crossing at the Likoni Channel shocked the nation and exposed serious safety lapses in Kenya’s maritime transport system.
Nearly six years later, renewed scrutiny has emerged—this time focused on the handling of critical CCTV footage from the ferry that could provide answers about the fatal incident.
On the afternoon of September 29, 2019, Mariam’s car reversed off the prow of the MV Harambee ferry and plunged into the Indian Ocean.
Witnesses described a horrifying scene as bystanders screamed helplessly, watching the vehicle disappear beneath the waves. A joint operation involving the Kenya Navy and foreign divers recovered the bodies 13 days later, after locating the vehicle over 50 meters underwater.
Initial investigations pointed to mechanical failures, especially a faulty prow—the metal ramp meant to prevent vehicles from slipping off.
Questions arose as to why the ferry had remained in service despite known technical issues. While both Kenya Ferry Services (KFS) and the Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA) were implicated, neither accepted full responsibility for the tragedy.
Now, in 2025, the focus has shifted to the ferry’s onboard CCTV footage. Only a short clip of the car sliding off the ramp was publicly released.Likoni mum and daughter died in a tight embrace – The Standard
However, it has emerged that the full footage—possibly showing events before and after the fall—was never submitted to court. This has triggered concerns over evidence tampering and mishandling.
The Director of Public Prosecutions has summoned several key officials, including the KFS Managing Director and local police investigators, to explain what happened to the original footage and whether proper chain-of-custody procedures were followed.
Legal experts argue that mishandling the CCTV evidence undermines efforts to ensure justice and raises doubts about transparency in Kenya’s maritime investigations.
The victims’ family, still grieving years later, hope the renewed inquiry will finally lead to accountability and reforms.
With the court set to hear from the summoned officials in the coming days, the public awaits answers—not just about missing footage, but about systemic failures that allowed such a preventable tragedy to occur.
By Creatorhub