The Senate wants reliable ferry services for Mfangano and neighbouring Lake Victoria islands.
Senate committee urges deployment of a ferry under construction and funding for another vessel to restore reliable transport for Lake Victoria island communities.
The Senate has urged the government to address the Mfangano ferry crisis affecting more than 30,000 island residents. Its roads committee wants a new vessel deployed within six months and funding for a second ferry.
The Senate Standing Committee on Roads, Transportation and Housing wants the ferry under construction at Kisumu Shipyard to serve Mbita-Mfangano. It also recommends funding another vessel in the 2027/2028 financial year.
The recommendations follow a petition Daniel Rakoro and other residents presented to the Senate on October 18, 2022. They sought reliable public transport linking Mfangano, Takawiri, Remba, Atego, Risi and Ringiti islands with the mainland.
Mfangano ferry crisis disrupts essential services
Petitioners said the suspension of the only private ferry service in December 2021 left residents dependent on costly, unsafe boats. As a result, they faced higher living and business costs alongside passenger safety risks.
The committee found that unreliable transport had disrupted access to healthcare, education and markets. It had also slowed government development projects across the islands.
Presenting the report in September, then committee chairperson and Migori Senator Eddy Oketch stressed the importance of ferry services. He described them as the sole, critical link between Mbita, Mfangano and the mainland.
However, the committee warned that the vessel under construction might not fully resolve the transport problems. Plans assign it to several Lake Victoria routes rather than exclusively to Mbita-Mfangano, potentially weakening service reliability.
Procurement delays and rising costs
The ferry project began with a Sh300 million allocation in the 2022/2023 financial year. However, implementation delays pushed its projected delivery to July 2026.
The committee also questioned cost increases after the Kenya Ports Authority took over implementation. The estimate rose to Sh1 billion before the final contract settled at Sh766 million, excluding VAT.
Meanwhile, budget constraints prevented procurement of another ferry despite a Sh300 million allocation in 2023/2024. The committee called for stronger accountability and effective implementation of the project.
It wants the transport ministry, KPA and Kenya Maritime Authority to operationalise and deploy the new ferry. The six-month deadline would run from the report’s tabling.
For supporting infrastructure, the committee recommends protected Treasury funding in 2026/2027 to complete the Mbita and Sena piers. It also seeks repairs to associated ramps and jetties at Mbita and Mfangano.
KPA would oversee those works and report progress to the Senate within six months. Meanwhile, the committee wants Homa Bay County, the transport ministry and Treasury to initiate second-ferry procurement in 2027/2028.
