Report By Leo Odera Omolo In Mbita Point.

The Government of Kenya has been urged to set up the most stringent rule governing the transportation of passengers travelling across Lake Victoria by ferries, steamers, boats and canoe.

The rule of safety measures such as the one compelling the use of life jacket and other measures should be strictly enforced. This is the only sure way of avoiding future disaster in the lake.

The appeal was made last night by Mr Mark Matunga, an executive with the Microsoft Corporation in Kenya. He said the government should ensure that those avoiding the use of safety measures, but continue transporting passengers on the lake should be punished.

Matunga who is one of the prospective aspirant in the contest for the post of Homa-Bay County was speaking at Mbita point after consulting the families of the close to ten people who died in a boat disaster last Monday.

He sent is condolences to the families of those who perished in the Monday afternoon boat disaster and wished those who were being hospitalized at the Mbita Sub-district hospital quick. recovery.

Matunga blames the government for the absent of the District Commissioner for Mbita, wondering that despite of close to 20 people having drown in the rough waves of Lake Victoria, it took twenty four hours before any senior government appeared in the scene.

Mbita district has no DC, DOI, and even the district officers for its two outlaying administrative divisions of Lambwe and Mfangano have had no officer for sometime. The victims and their relatives were desperately looking for some one in senior government position to mobilize the locals on a rescue mission. If there was the DC at Mbita Point several lives could have been saved,” he said.

The disaster occurred when a boat ferrying more than 20 passengers was hit by rough waves in the late afternoon storms and capsized. Only seven people were rescued by fishermen and other boats.

By Tuesday afternoon huge crowd had gathered at the Mbita beach with wailing women and man while the searching was in progress for their loved ones.

The bodies of those missing passengers, who were presumed dead, were still yet to be retrieved from the lake. One of the survivors Mr Evans Odhiambo told the newsmen that he survived due to mercy of God.

He narrated how he had swim for close to two and half hours before being rescued by the crew of another boat.

Another survivor Benard Onyango said the boat was overloaded and carried excess passengers. It has no life jacket and he had survived miraculously when he struggle for hours to remain afloat and raised his hands in the sky, which attracted other fishermen who rescued him

The man who had hired the boat Mr. Taabu Ouma said he was surprised when the boat owner went for the fuel, but returned with more passengers, despite the fact that he it was on a special hire. As the boat began its voyage he could smelt the danger as it appeared to have been overloaded.

One man who lost three cousins said he bade them goodbye and wished them farewell on Monday morning when the boat began its fateful journey from Mfangano to Mbita. The three cousins who he said were working with construction firm had gone to inspect Gethsemane Children Home on Mfangano. All were structural engineers working with a construction company called Baily Construction, while the third cousin was a manager with the same construction firm.

The three had travelled to Mfangano on a specific mission to inspect the construction work at the children’s home.

Those whose bodies were still missing include a prominent contractor Eng.Benard Oswago who were with his elder brother Laban Oswago and their nephew a Mr.Otieno. Their bodies were still missing.

The owner of the boat Okoth Tengo and his loader {Turn-Boy} also perished in the disaster. Other victims were Maurice Ondigo and his wife Esther Ondigo.

Mbita one of the recently created district, was slashed from the old Suba district which also saw the creation of the neighboring Gwassi district. It has been without the D.C, for sometime and even members of the public in search of government services have been complaining.

The absence of the D>C> recently sparked off the harsh exchange of words between the Internal Security Assistant Minister Joshua Orwa Ojode and thre area MP Gerald Otieno Kajwang’ who is the Immigration and Registration of Persons Minister Kajwang’.

Kajwang’ commenting on the new structure of governance following the recent constitutional dispensation and retorted that all the DCs, Dos and the rest members of the Provincial Administration should pack and go.

Ojode retorted that thre government had no intention of posting a new DC for the area simply because the service that is being provided by the Provincial Administration is not needed in the district. He told this writer that there is no plan of posting the D.CC to the area in the immediate near future.

But when the lake disaster occurred on Monday, the local felt the absence lf the DC saying that members of the Provincial Administration services is still very much required. The D.C. could have mobilized the government resources and place them in the disposal of the rescuers. They said.

Ends

leooderaomolo@yahoo.com