Three people are feared dead after a boat carrying 22 participants capsized during the East Africa Ocean Festival (TEAOF) at Tudor Water Sports Club. The incident occurred around 5:30 pm during the festival’s dragon boat race, with the ill-fated vessel, MV Dragon, overturning just metres from the finish line. The event had drawn hundreds of spectators and participants celebrating East Africa’s maritime culture and promoting ocean tourism. In a statement on Friday, October 10 after the incident, the Kenya Red Cross Society stated that efforts were underway to find the trio.
“A boat carrying 22 passengers capsized during the East Africa Ocean Festival at Tudor Water Sports. So far, 19 people have been rescued, while 3 remain missing. Search and Rescue operations are ongoing, with a multi-agency team actively responding to locate the missing persons,” read the statement. Mombasa County Chief Fire Officer Ibrahim Basafar confirmed the incident, revealing that one participant was in critical condition and was rushed to Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital. Basafar described the scene as chaotic, noting that some spectators and youth began throwing stones at rescuers. An ICU ambulance providing oxygen to the critical survivor was damaged, forcing responders to call for another vehicle. A report by the Nation revealed that the three missing participants are from informal settlements in the coastal city.
Ishmael Onyango, who was aboard the MV Dragon, recounted the harrowing moments before the boat capsized. “We were almost at the finish line when our boat capsized. Everything happened so fast,” he said. Onyango also revealed that most participants lacked life jackets during the race, a sharp contrast to the training sessions earlier in the week. “None of us had life jackets on during the race. We received an invitation to participate in the dragon boat race and had been practicing since Monday. We used life jackets during training, but on the event day, only one team had them,” he said. Participants and family members expressed frustration at what they described as inadequate safety measures. Victor Odongo, another participant from Bangladesh, demanded accountability, questioning how people brought from Bangladesh could face such danger.
Mombasa County Executive for Lands and Urban Planning Hussein Mohammed said authorities are coordinating with the Kenya Coast Guard Service, the Kenya Navy, and volunteer divers to locate the missing participants. The East Africa Ocean Festival, now in its second edition, is designed to promote water sports, marine tourism, and environmental conservation. The festival began on Thursday, October 9, with a gala at Fort Jesus, and water sports were scheduled to run until Sunday.
By Didacus Malowa
