Homa Bay boat tragedy: Search continues for missing people

The search for at least nine people who are still unaccounted for following the Tuesday evening boat tragedy in Lake Victoria resumed on Wednesday morning.

The mission is being conducted 500 meters from Homa Bay town pier where the accident happened.

On Tuesday night, two people were confirmed dead and eight others were rescued.

According to the boat coxswain, who is hospitalised alongside four passengers, there were 19 people on board.

The rescue operation was called off on Tuesday evening due to poor weather and lack of experience among local divers in night operations.

The search for the missing passengers started at 7am on Wednesday. 

It is a joint operation involving officials from the Kenya Coast Guard Service (KCGS), Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA), the Beach Management Unit (BMU) and the county disaster department.

"The county government and Kenya Red Cross have set up a tent that will be used to trace missing relatives. We also have a help desk to record those who have not been accounted for," said Homa Bay County Disaster Management Director Eliud Onyango.

Homa Bay County Commissioner Moses Lilan said on Wednesday morning the government has set up a command center where the search operation will be coordinated from.

He confirmed that 19 people were aboard the boat and that nine are missing. "We will give details later. We are currently focusing on looking for the people who are unaccounted for," he said.

The incident has exposed how boat owners and their passengers disregard safety measures in the lake.

Witnesses reported that the passengers of the ill-fated boat broke several maritime rules.

The occupants were wearing life jackets. The vessel is also said to have been overloaded with goods.

It is also not clear whether the boat coxswain was trained as the law requires.

Last month, a man drowned a few meters from where the incident happened.

Attempts to retrieve his body were not successful due to shifting water hyacinth, which hampers movement in the lake. His family had to bury a stone picked from the beach as tradition dictates.

Kenya Coast Guard Services, which led the operation blamed the lack of emergency preparedness among fishermen and boat owners as the main cause of accidents in the lake.

KCGS operation commander in charge of inland squadron Lieutenant Bernard Mibei, who spoke to journalists after last month’s incident, said passengers can be saved if fishermen value safety in water.

Lieutenant Mibei said all vessels used in transport, fishing and recreation in Lake Victoria in Homa Bay, Kisumu, Siaya, Migori and Busia should have floats and life jackets.

 "The floats must not necessarily be the ones used in modern vessels. An empty jerrican that is tightly sealed can act as a floating device. People who are at risk of drowning can hold on to them until they are rescued,” he said.

"Death in the lake only takes a few minutes. Once panic sets it, it is inevitable that whoever is in water will drown," he added.

The KCSG commander said most cases of drawing can be avoided if fishermen are trained on safety.

 Homa Bay Finance Executive Nicholas Koriko said the county government will offset all medical bills of the accident victims.

Homa Bay Woman Rep Gladys Wanga on the other hand said her office is doing all it can with other stakeholders to hasten rescue operations.

"Homa Bay is mourning. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the boat tragedy. We are doing all we can with all stakeholders to hasten rescue," she said.