Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir has announced immediate measures aimed at tightening safety regulations for sea-based events following the tragic boat accident at Tudor Creek.
Speaking on Monday, October 13, he said the county government will now enforce stricter protocols to ensure safety in future maritime activities.
Nassir noted that all upcoming sea-related events will require prior clearance from the relevant authorities to prevent a repeat of such incidents.
"Going forward, sea events will require clearance by the County Security Committee, and the Kenya Coast Guard will investigate and publish its findings," he said.
Nassir also revealed plans to enhance the county’s disaster preparedness and response capacity along Mombasa’s coastline.
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"We’ll also recruit lifeguards from our Beach Management Units to boost disaster preparedness. May the departed rest in peace," he added.
At the same time, Nassir earlier Monday, announced that two missing bodies from the Tudor Creek racing boat accident have been retrieved.
Speaking while addressing the media, the governor said the two bodies were recovered at 1:09 and 1:13 am at different places in the Indian Ocean.
Further, Nassir said the national and county governments will facilitate the burial expenses of the deceased.
"We have confirmed from the national government and the county government that we will be able to assist in the burial expenses for these bodies," he said.
The tragic accident, which involved MV Dragon, capsized on Friday, October 10, at around 5.30 pm during the East African Ocean Festival at Tudor Watersports.
The boat, operated by members of the Kijiweni Youth Group, had 22 people on board.
The boat was near the finishing line, and the group members allegedly stood up as the boat was still in motion.
As a result, the boat lost its balance and capsized; 19 members were immediately rescued while 3 went missing.
Following the incident, Kenya Navy personnel, in collaboration with other government agencies, the Kenya Red Cross, the Mombasa County Government, and members of the local community, launched a coordinated search and rescue operation led by the Kenya Navy Diving Unit to locate the missing persons in the suspected areas.
The first body was found on Sunday at around 3 pm near the scene of the accident, stuck in mangrove trees, before the other two were recovered on Monday morning.
