Senators now want Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia to take political responsibility after a mother and her daughter drowned after their car slid off a Likoni ferry on Sunday.
The lawmakers demanded CS Macharia and his Principal Secretaries Esther Koimett (Transport) and Nancy Karigithu (Maritime and Shipping Affairs) to vacate office over the incident.
On Sunday,35-year-old Mariam Kighenda and her daughter Amanda Mutheu, 4, a student at MM Shah Academy, drowned, when their vehicle slid off MV Harambee ferry rolled plunging into the sea midstream at the busy Likoni channel in Mombasa.
The House adjourned on Wednesday to discuss the incident.
Meanwhile, CS Macharia appointed his PS Koimet to lead a multi-agency team to retrieve bodies and the vehicle.
Led by Kisii Senator Sam Ongeri and his Makueni counterpart Mutula Kilonzo Jr., the legislators accused the government of poor disaster preparedness.
“You can imagine 72 hours later, we have not had a statement from the CS on this incident.What we have only seen is him a pointing a person who is not even an expert to lead the rescue operations,” Senator Mutula Jr., said.
“They should all take responsibility and resign from their positions,” he added.
On his part, Senator Ongeri fingered the Kenya Navy, the Coast Guard Service, Kenya Ports Authority, Maritime Authority and the Kenya Ferry Services of neglect and letting down Kenyans.
He accused the agencies of being “spectators and onlookers watching as somebody disappeared into the waters.”
Senator Godhana Hargura (Marsabit) and nominated counterparts Agnes Zani, Naomi Shiyonga and Petronilla Were also accused the government of putting at risk thousands of residents who use the ferry services.
