Shame As Mayfair Insurance Company Capitalises On Likoni Tragedy For Publicity

While the operation to retrieve the bodies of Mariam Kighenda and her 4-year-old daughter Amanda Mutheu who plunged into the ocean at Likoni Channel two weeks ago was ongoing, Mayfair Insurance Company was busy pushing and processing a cheque of Ksh682,500 for the husband, Mr John Wambua for the car.

The company then contacted the Daily Nation, and made sure that the story of the paid claim was given half a page prominence, with the headline “Insurance claim for Likoni car settled”.

The Nation reports that Mr Wambua contacted his agent to secure payment for his car, even as the operation was ongoing to retrieve the car and the bodies.

The cheque was handed over, publicly, to Mr Wambua yesterday, two days after the car and the bodies were pulled out from the ocean belly.

Read: Ill-fated Vehicle In Likoni Ferry Tragedy, Bodies Finally Retrieved [Video]

The company made sure that journalists were present to witness the event, with the company’s Mombasa branch manager Priya Shah saying that they were there “to condole with the family”.

“We are here to condole with the family of Mr Wambua and also hand over the cheque of the insurance claim he had made,” said Ms Shah.

Under normal circumstances, such issues are handled privately but the company opted to do it in the glaring eye of the media.

This happened even before the police concluded their investigations on what caused the accident, even as several people have recorded statements with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).

Read: Five Questioned As DCI Launches Probe Into Likoni Ferry Tragedy

The postmortem is also not done, as it would reveal further causes of the accident.

Likoni Police boss Benjamin Rotich said on Sunday that five people have been questioned over the unfortunate incident.

“We have questioned five people and the probe will continue,” he said.

Those said to have been questioned include a coxswain, two ferry staff who help to direct vehicles inside the ferry and two guards from a private security firm.

Read: Criticism As President Uhuru Condoles With Family Of Likoni Tragedy Victims’ A Day After Bodies Were Retrieved

There were reports that officials from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) had summoned Kenya Ferry Services MD Bakari Gowa, claims the MD has vehemently dismissed.

He, however, told a local media that he’s ready to be questioned on the matter.

“If the DCI will come, let them come, we are here,” he said.