Residents of Mfangano Island in Homa Bay County have appealed to the Senate to provide a government-operated ferry between Mbita and the island, saying high transport costs and unreliable private services have stifled their local economy.
The Senate Committee on Transport, chaired by Marsabit Senator Mohammed Chute, heard the petition on Wednesday and observed a moment of silence in honor of the late former Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga.
Currently, the route is run by Mbita Ferry Services, a private operator that charges KSh 250 per one-way trip, a price residents say is unaffordable. They also complain of irregular schedules that make it hard to access the mainland for goods, healthcare, and other essential services.
“Mfangano cannot progress without affordable and reliable ferry transport,” said Mfangano Development Association chairperson Mr. Otieno. “We need a government-run ferry like Likoni’s, which is free and operates around the clock.”
The committee was told that KSh 800 million had already been allocated in the previous financial year for the construction of a ferry at Kisumu Shipyard.
Senator Peris Tobiko called for an additional KSh 300 million in the next budget to expedite the project and ease transport hardships for the island’s roughly 30,000 residents.
However, locals voiced concern that the proposed Kisumu–Kendu Bay–Homa Bay–Mbita–Sena–Muhuru Bay ferry route would bypass their immediate needs. They want short, frequent crossings between Mbita and Mfangano instead of long regional routes.
Committee chair Senator Eddy Oketch said the ferry service was “long overdue,” while Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua urged fairness in national infrastructure investments. “Mfangano residents deserve justice,” he said. “The ferry is their lifeline, their only connection to the mainland.”
The senators later visited the Tom Mboya Mausoleum in Rusinga before offering condolences to the family of the late Raila Odinga.
