Coast Guard officers rescued after boat capsized in Lake Victoria

By Peter Ochieng

Four Kenya Coast Guard Services (KSGS) are safe and sound, after a scary ordeal in Lake Victoria, on Friday night.

The four were aboard a boat which capsized, before a swift rescue mission saw them saved from the fresh water body.

According to the Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA) Engineer Director General Martin Munga, there were no fatalities.

The team was part of a contingent of security officers, deployed during President William Ruto’s event at Mageta Island in Siaya County’s Bondo Sub County, on Friday.

According to an update by KCGS, a successful search and rescue operation was conducted by the KCGS team in collaboration with Beach Management Units (BMUs), and the Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) officers at Ndere Islands, in Lake Victoria.

The accident, KCGS said, happened after the patrol boat developed mechanical issues.

“After an intensive 8-hour night mission, the team safely recovered four KCGS officers following the capsizing of their patrol boat due to mechanical issues leading to sudden water ingress and subsequent capsizing.”

The officers were returning back to their Kisumu station, after successfully conducting security patrols in Siaya and Homabay general area of operation. All officers are currently receiving medical attention and are in stable condition.

“The swift coordination among the BMUs and agencies involved exemplified the highest standards of maritime safety, making sure that the officers were rescued,” added KCGS.

The search for the boat wreckage continues. KCGS emphasized the vital role that teamwork plays in ensuring the safety of maritime personnel and waters.

The accident came towards the tail end of President William Ruto four-day Nyanza tour, hours before he broke ground for the Lake Victoria Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre, which will improve maritime safety and further fishing in the region.

“We will support our rice farmers through value addition so that they can produce more, earn more and feed more Kenyans,” Ruto said during the commissioning of the Kibos Rice Mill.

The plant, with a processing capacity of 4,000 tonnes an hour, will promote rice cultivation in the more than 6,000 acres in Chiga, East Kano, and West Kano schemes, supporting more than 10,000 households.