Hundreds of commuters stranded after ferry hitch

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By BOZO JENJE bjenje@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Friday, July 6  2012 at  23:30

IN SUMMARY

• The vessel remained grounded on Mombasa Island side of crossing after its gangplank was stuck on the ramp

A ferry mishap at the Likoni crossing left hundreds of commuters stranded for several hours.

Mv Kwale remained grounded on the Mombasa Island side of the crossing after its gangplank was stuck on the ramp due to mis-timing occasioned by a low tide on Thursday/Friday night.

The passengers disembarked, but the vessel remained stuck until around 3am with the onset of the high tide.

This left the remaining ferries to share the second ramp, causing delays.

On Friday, the Kenya Ferry Service (KFS) head of marketing and corporate affairs Elizabeth Wachira attributed the incident to inaccurate timing of the low tides by the coxswain.

“This incident is normal. Ferries are likely to get grounded when water levels are low,” she told the Saturday Nation.

She dismissed claims by some of the workers that the incident was a sign of protest over failure by the management to honour a collective bargaining agreement (CBA).

“What happened last night has nothing to do with the CBA. What we are aware of is that discussions are on and next week there is a meeting to resolve the (CBA) matter,” Ms Wachira added.

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KFS managing director Musa Hassan Musa said the management would carry out thorough investigations to establish whether there was an element of sabotage.

“If that (workers’ claim) is true, then it is sabotage and gross misconduct. The coxswains are not unionisable and, therefore, have nothing to do with the CBA,” he said.

Mr Musa said the workers themselves were the ones who stalled the CBA implementation through a letter they wrote to the Coast provincial labour officer.

“It is improper for them to turn around and accuse the management of  failing to implement the CBA,” the MD said.

“There is a committee that is handling the issue and I am not party to it.

“I am ready to  resolve the matter once the provincial labour officer’s report reaches my desk,” he added.

Earlier, workers who talked to the Saturday Nation on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals said the incident was meant to send a message to the management to respond to their grievances over the CBA.