New ferry puts Kenya on map of emerging ship-building nations
The newly built Mv Albert 1 ferry at Southern Engineering Company premises on October 14, 2015. The Kenyan firm celebrated completing the assembly of the ferry in Mombasa, putting Kenya on the map of emerging ship-building countries in the region. PHOTO | LABAN WALLOGA | NATION MEDIA GROUP
**By GITONGA MARETE
Posted Thursday, October 15 2015 at 12:01**
IN SUMMARY
[ul]
[li]Some parts of the ferry (Mv Albert 1) were made in Kenya while others were imported from Germany and India in a ship that cost $3 million.[/li][li]It will be delivered to Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) by end of November.[/li][li]This was the fourth vessel UNRA has bought from Seco, according to the authority’s acting manager for technical service, Herbert Mutyaba.[/li][/ul]
A Kenyan firm Wednesday celebrated completing the assembly of a ferry in Mombasa, putting Kenya on the map of emerging ship-building countries in the region.
Southern Engineering Company (Seco) partnered with a Germany-based company – Damen Shipyards – in the project that took eight months.
Some parts of the ferry (Mv Albert 1) were made in Kenya while others were imported from Germany and India in a ship that cost $3 million. It will be delivered to Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) by end of November.
“This is a milestone for us and prove that there is nothing we cannot do in Kenya,” said Seco general manager Omri Cohen during the pre-launch ceremony at the company premises near Mbaraki Wharf, 500 metres across Kenya Ferry Services (KFS).
This was the fourth vessel UNRA has bought from Seco, according to the authority’s acting manager for technical service, Herbert Mutyaba.
The other three operating in Lake Albert and the new one would go a long way in easing transport problems, he said. Measuring 42 metres by 15 metres, has a capacity of 200 passengers and 20 vehicles.
Kenya has contacted Turkish firm to deliver two ferries in Mombasa at a cost of Ksh1.3 billion to cope with rising traffic between the island and the South Coast mainland.
But local industrialists are pushing for locally made ships.
Mr Cohen said Seco had bid for the two vessels and lost “narrowly” in the financials but was top in the technical aspect.
“The difference was slightly less than $200,000 but if you look at the benefits the project would have had in terms of jobs and after-sales service, there was a need to consider these aspects,” said Mr Cohen.
Uganda High Commissioner to Kenya Ms Angeline Wapakhalo said her country would continue sourcing for the vessels from Kenya.
“Kenyans doubt their products but we don’t. We will come back for another ferry but I also urge you to buy our sugar,” she said in reference to President Kenyatta’s controversial sugar import deal with Uganda.