A Mombasa court has issued an arrest warrant against Corporal Moses Mahiuha, the police officer who initially led investigations into the 2019 Likoni ferry tragedy.
According to a statement released by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) on Thursday, July 24, 2025, the officer failed to appear before the court to explain his handling of critical CCTV footage related to the incident.
The prosecution, which is investigating the deaths of Mariam Kighenda and her four-year-old daughter, Amanda Mutheu, who drowned when their vehicle plunged into the Indian Ocean at the Likoni Channel in 2019, had summoned Corporal Mahiuha to clarify the circumstances under which the footage was returned to Kenya Ferry Services (KFS).
Chief Magistrate Alex Ithuku, who is presiding over the investigation, ordered Mahiuha’s arrest after he failed to appear and justify returning the CCTV footage without adhering to the chain of custody protocols.
“Corporal Mahiuha is the initial investigating officer tasked to unravel the tragedy that claimed the lives of Mariam Kighenda, 35, and her four-year-old daughter, Amanda Mutheu,” the ODPP statement noted.
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Principal Prosecution Counsel Alex Ndiema sought the arrest following testimony from Chief Inspector Ruben Lwambi of DCI Likoni, who told the court that the footage submitted was incomplete.
Lwambi further stated that the full footage, which includes three segments capturing the entire sequence of the fatal plunge, remains in KFS's custody.
“The DCIO stated that Corporal Mahiuha was supposed to be the custodian of the CCTV footage and his decision to return it to KFS was unlawful,” read the ODPP statement. “He further testified that it is not for the investigating officer to produce incomplete CCTV footage in court, which he said amounts to an obstruction of justice.”
Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) and Kenya Ferry Services (KFS) lawyer Michael Sangoro supported the prosecution’s request and added that Mahiuha should file an affidavit confirming whether the footage had been tampered with.
