The Kenyan Senate has urged the government to take immediate action to address a pressing transport crisis affecting over 30,000 residents of Mfangano Island and neighbouring islands. The crisis began when the only private ferry service operating on the Mbita-Mfangano route was suspended in December 2021. This has left residents relying on expensive and often unsafe private boats to access essential services, including healthcare, education, and markets. The situation has also hindered the implementation of government development projects in the islands.
The Senate Standing Committee on Roads, Transportation and Housing has recommended that the government deploy a new ferry currently under construction at Kisumu Shipyard to the Mbita-Mfangano route within six months. The committee also wants the government to allocate funds for an additional vessel in the 2027/2028 financial year. This move aims to provide reliable public transport linking Mfangano, Takawiri, Remba, Atego, Risi, and Ringiti islands to each other and the mainland. The committee's recommendations follow a petition by Daniel Rakoro and other Mfangano residents, presented to the Senate on October 18, 2022.
The transport crisis has significantly impacted the daily lives of island residents, with the absence of a reliable public ferry service disrupting access to essential services. The committee's report states that the situation has forced residents to rely on costly and unsafe private transport, driving up the cost of living and doing business while exposing passengers to safety risks. Furthermore, the crisis has slowed the implementation of government development projects in the islands, exacerbating the challenges faced by the local community.
The Senate committee's investigation revealed that the government's ferry procurement programme has experienced significant delays. The project, initiated with a Sh300 million budgetary allocation in the 2022/2023 financial year, was initially expected to be completed by July 2026. However, its implementation was taken over by the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), leading to a substantial increase in the project's cost. The initial allocation rose to an estimated Sh1 billion before the contract was eventually signed at Sh766 million, excluding VAT.
The committee has expressed concerns that even the completion of the vessel currently under construction may not fully resolve the crisis. This is because the ferry is intended to serve multiple routes on Lake Victoria rather than being exclusively assigned to the Mbita-Mfangano corridor. The committee warned that this arrangement could undermine the reliability of services for island residents who depend on water transport for their daily activities.
To address the situation, the committee has recommended that the Ministry of Roads and Transport, working alongside KPA and the Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA), operationalise the new ferry and deploy it to improve connectivity between Mbita and Mfangano within six months. The committee has also called on the National Treasury to ring-fence funds in the 2026/2027 financial year budget to complete the Mbita and Sena piers and rehabilitate associated ramps and jetties at Mbita and Mfangano.
The Senate committee's recommendations aim to provide a long-term solution to the transport crisis affecting Mfangano Island and neighbouring islands. The procurement of a second ferry is expected to guarantee reliable and sustainable public transport for communities living on these islands, ending their prolonged dependence on costly private boats to access the mainland. The Homa Bay County Government has been urged to collaborate with the Ministry of Roads and Transport and the National Treasury to provide adequate funding and initiate the procurement of a second ferry in the 2027/2028 financial year.
Key points
- The Kenyan Senate has urged the government to deploy a new ferry to the Mbita-Mfangano route within six months to address a pressing transport crisis affecting over 30,000 residents.
