Geza Ulole
JF-Expert Member
- Oct 31, 2009
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MV Jambo Ferry to ease movement across the Likoni Channel in Mombasa
Leave a Comment / Tourism, transport / By kingatmo
The long awaited new MV Jambo ferry will ease movement across the busy Likoni channel. The Kenya Ferry Services (KFS) says that the state-of-the-art ferry left Ozata shipyard, Turkey, a few weeks ago on its way to Kenya.
Expected to arrive before end of July, the MV Jambo would be launched officially by President Uhuru Kenyatta. Earlier, the KFS had sent its team to Turkey to check on the progress and construction of this state of the art, and they confirmed that the ferry was ready to start its operation at Likoni Channel.
MV Jambo is expected to help ease current services at the busy Likoni channel. The ferry is double ended, it has a length of around 84.6 meters and has been crowned with both Turkey and Kenyan Flags. To ensure that services provided at the channel would be efficient, the Kenyan government requested for a second ferry, Mv Safari, which is expected to arrive on 3rd November 2017. It is estimated that the two ferries cost the Kenyan government KSh 1.9 billion.
De-congesting the Likoni channel
The two new ferries would substantially decongest the Likoni sea channel. Each of them, for instance, would have a capacity of 1391 passengers and are anticipated to transport more than 330,000 people and more than 5000 vehicles on a daily basis. The Likoni channel, where the two ferries would be operating, happens to be the main route used by tourist as they come to and from their hotels.
MY TAKE
As a matter of fact none of Kenya ferries in operation was built in Kenya!
