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Owner of capsized Tana River boat defied order against operation - police

Members of the public travel in a boat in Mororo, Tana River County, on April 28, 2024. (Photo: Abdimalik Hajir)

By Farhiya Hussein | 28 Apr 2024

The police said the owner of the boat fled after the incident.

The private operator of the boat that capsized in Tana River County on Sunday defied a police order suspending the service due to the risk posed by heavy rains and flooding.

Police are investigating the incident in Mororo following the escape of the boat owner. Meanwhile, rescue operations by parties including the Kenya Red Cross Society are taking place.

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A Red Cross official earlier told The Eastleigh Voice that the vessel had 43 people, meaning 20 were yet to be accounted for.

A police report from the Madogo Police Station explained that due to the flooding at the Kona Punda and Mororo sections of the Madogo-Garissa Road, two privately operated boats had been transporting people.

"Their operations were suspended at around 6.30 pm (on Sunday) but a third one was sneaked in and attempted to carry people from Kona Punda," the report said.

"It hit a stalled lorry and capsized just next to the road."

The police said the owner of the boat fled after the incident and that officers and Red Cross personnel were continuing the search for the missing persons. Thus far, 23 people have been rescued.

Update: 23 people have been rescued and are currently receiving care at Madogo Hospital, while others are still missing. https://t.co/ezjDexqyP6 pic.twitter.com/H9oahRMnB9
— Kenya Red Cross (@KenyaRedCross) April 28, 2024

Heavy rains and floods have wreaked havoc in many parts of Kenya since the start of the March-May long rain season, with at least 76 people confirmed dead so far.

Floodwaters have submerged numerous settlements, displacing 24,196 families—approximately 131,450 people—and endangering others.

The government announced that it was collaborating with humanitarian partners, including the Red Cross, in providing aid, and that it had set up 50 camps across the country for displaced persons.