Likoni channel gridlock leaves cargo owners counting losses

The Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) has moved to clear the traffic snarl-up at Mombasa’s Likoni Channel, a vital waterway for ferries and larger ships, after shipping lines threatened to give it a wide berth.

The high traffic of ferries at the channel delayed ships entering or leaving the Mombasa port, resulting in additional costs, which are ultimately passed on to importers. 

KPA has reduced the number of passenger ferries at the Likoni Channel to give priority to cargo ships despite increased passengers.

Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir said the number of pedestrians using the channel daily has risen from 300,000 to 500,000, with bicycle users rising from 6,000 to 7,300 daily.

In an address to the Senate, the CS said the number of vehicles using the ferries has, on the other hand, fallen from 6,000 to 3,500 following the opening of the Dongo Kundu bypass in January this year.

The CS noted that port activities and the size of the channel, which measures about 500 metres wide, are the critical limitations affecting the capacity to expand and improve ferry services.

“Likoni Channel is a shared channel for port activities and ferry services, among other maritime users. As port activities increase and the number of ships visiting the port of Mombasa increases, the number of ferry movements is negatively affected.

“Being a restricted channel, priority is given to ships entering and leaving the port, and when this happens during peak time, the ferry service is partially suspended for an average of 10 minutes for each ship’s movement,” he explained.

He highlighted several measures to divert pedestrians and vehicles from the Likoni ferry channel, including the use of the Dongo Kundu bypass.

Mr Chirchir noted that the implementation of the proposed cable car project at the Likoni channel would divert a daily average of 180,000 people, while the proposed construction of the Mombasa Gate Bridge would complement existing crossing options.

“Implementing the Likoni aerial cable car project. Once completed, this project will have a capacity to divert a daily average of 180,000 people. Construction of Mombasa Gate Bridge will complement the existing crossing options as well as divert further vehicles heading to Mombasa Island and the north mainland of Mombasa,” he said.

The CS also proposed socioeconomic improvement programmes that would divert and ease congestion at the Likoni channel.

This includes the development of the Dongo Kundu Special Economic Zone (SEZ), where most of the pedestrians would secure alternative employment opportunities other than Mombasa Island, noting that about 60 per cent of pedestrians work across the channel.

He also proposed the development of a market in Likoni Sub-County, which would reduce by 10 per cent the number of ferry users on the morning peak crossing, who go to Kongowea Market.

He said there is also a need to upgrade Likoni Sub-County to semi-urban status.

“The region is currently not attractive for investors since the land is not properly planned; most of the land does not have title deeds. This would create employment and service provision and thus reduce movement across the channel,” he noted.

Mr Chirchir was responding to a question raised in the national assembly by Likoni MP Mishi Mboko.

Ms Mboko sought to know the measures by the government to ensure the safety and efficiency of ferry services, including an update on the status of the maintenance and procurement plan for new ferries and the upgrade of existing ferries.

The response was about a letter dated June 10, this year, from the departmental committee on Transport and Infrastructure seeking a comprehensive response on the issues raised in parliament.

The CS explained that since ferries are demand-driven, vessels are deployed on a need basis, noting that when the average number of people who crossed was 300,000 in 2010, three ferries were deployed during peak times (morning and evening).

In 2016, he observed, an additional ferry was deployed during peak time when average daily crossings had reached 360,000.

He noted that KPA did some operation simulations to ascertain the possibility of increasing a fifth ferry in 2022 after it was discovered that volumes of pedestrian crossings increased to a daily average of 430,000.

“Following the simulations, it was established that with increased volume on ships calling at the port of Mombasa, the number of ferries that can safely be deployed and operate is limited to a maximum of four, other factors remaining constant,” explained the CS.

He noted that as a way of decongesting the ferry service and providing an alternative crossing, Dongo Kundu was constructed and operationalised in January this year.

“As a result of this, vehicle traffic has significantly reduced by 41.7 per cent, while pedestrians increased by 13.7 per cent,” he said.

He noted that KPA has endeavoured to meet customers’ needs while ensuring safety and security by operating under the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) and the International Ship and Port Facility Code (ISPS).

To deal with the increase in pedestrian and reduction in vehicle traffic, he stated that KPA has deployed bigger vessels (MV Safari and MV Jambo) with a capacity of 4,000 people each to ferry pedestrians and smaller ferries (MV Kwale and MV Likoni) with a capacity of 2,500 people each for vehicles.

Mr Chirchir noted that the two categories used to share bigger and smaller ferries each before the opening of the Dongo Kundu bypass.

According to the CS, the replacement, servicing and maintenance of life-saving appliances and firefighting equipment are being done onboard.

He added that police officers are deployed to deal with crowd control and access control management, assisting KPA staff and a contracted security company.

The government also plans to acquire a new passenger and vehicle ferry.

The CS said the government is also improving access control by separating incoming and outgoing vehicular traffic at the Likoni channel, repairing ramps and ramp approaches and improving the passenger waiting shed on the Likoni island side.

He further explained that KPA has contracted Kenya Shipyard Ltd, a state-owned agency, to build a ferry with a capacity of 2,000 passengers and 80 cars for Sh3 billion.

KPA has four ferries in operation (MV Safari, MV Kwale, MV Likoni and MV Harambee). MV Jambo’s engine is currently being overhauled, while MV Nyayo is scheduled for dry docking services.

“Long-term maintenance programmes involve dry-docking of ferries for underwater hull steel repairs. In the dry-dock, comprehensive structural steel works, seawater system and main machinery repairs are carried out,” he noted.

He said the dry-docking services are carried out by Kenya Shipyard Limited.

“The maintenance programme is set to commence in phases to avoid disruption of services following the approval of the supplementary budget, with a contract awarded for the dry-docking of MV Nyayo,” he said. 

According to the CS, this will include coastal ferries and inland ferries (Lake Turkana and Lake Victoria).

“Before the end of this financial year, the authority intends to have consultative meetings with the various counties on the same. A feasibility study will be commissioned between July and December 2025 with a view to providing a framework on the best way ferry services can be offered,” he noted.