On May 2, a "water bus" ferryboat capsized while navigating in Lake Victoria (one of the African Great Lakes). The ship was operating on the Kenya route Mageta Island-Usenge. Reportedly, accident was caused by strong winds and high tides in Lake Victoria.
A rescue mission is underway, coordinated by Usenge Beach management and local administration units. Kenya Red Cross said that all passengers aboard the ferry had been rescued. The ferry has passenger capacity ~200. It was enroute from Mageta to Usenge.
According to the county commissioner in the region, the half-submerged ship could be seen swept away by strong waves towards Uhanya Beach.
Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA) said there were about 40 ships used for passenger transportation within the lake's Kenyan waters, including ferries, water buses and small boats (choppers). The 5 ferries have capacity 80-250 passengers, water buses - between 60-150 people, choppers - between 20-40.
The accredited ships are however not enough to serve the more than 100 routes with around 2,000 beaches within Kenyan waters, a situation that has seen hundreds of unauthorized operators in the business.