Mombasa Governor Orders Vessel Inspections After Two Drown in Tudor Creek Capsizing

Commuters who use the daily wooden ferry service across Tudor Creek were shaken on Monday morning when one of the overloaded vessels capsized near the Makupa Causeway, throwing passengers — most of them workers heading to the mainland — into the murky waters of the creek.

Two people did not make it out alive. Their bodies were recovered by Kenya Coast Guard divers who responded within 20 minutes of the distress call. Eleven others were pulled to safety by fishermen from nearby boats and by Kenya Maritime Authority officers who happened to be conducting a routine patrol.

Governor Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir arrived at the scene within the hour. Visibly agitated, he ordered the immediate suspension of the vessel's operating licence and directed his county inspectorate team to begin rigorous assessments of every passenger boat operating in Mombasa's waterways by end of day.

"This is not the first time we have warned operators about overloading. But today it has cost us lives, and that is unacceptable," Nassir told journalists at the waterfront. "Every vessel that does not meet safety standards will be pulled from service today — full stop."

Kenya Maritime Authority confirmed it has been in discussions with the county about formalising the licensing and inspection regime for small passenger vessels in coastal waterways, a category that has historically operated in a regulatory grey zone. Wooden ferries — locally known as "jahazi" — carry thousands of people daily across Tudor Creek, Kilindini Harbour and Shimba Hills water crossings.

Survivors described a chaotic scene of panic, with passengers clinging to the upturned hull as the current carried debris downstream. "The boat was completely full — there were people standing on the edges," said Fatuma Abubakar, a fish trader who was rescued by a fisherman. "We always knew this would happen. We just never thought it would happen to us."