SA firm asked to retrieve ‘MV Kabalega’

Oct 03, 2005

THE government has invited SubTech Diving and Marine, a South African firm that located the sunken ferry MV Kabalega on the floor of lake Victoria, to negotiate the possibility of retrieving the wreckage.

By Steven Candia

THE government has invited SubTech Diving and Marine, a South African firm that located the sunken ferry MV Kabalega on the floor of lake Victoria, to negotiate the possibility of retrieving the wreckage.

Speaking after inspecting the new ferry MV Kalangala at the Port Bell pier on Thursday, works minister John Nasasira (right) said the bids had been opened and the firm invited to discuss the possibility of salvaging the ferry that sunk 150 feet to the bed of Africa’s largest fresh water body on May 8 after colliding with MV Kaawa.

“Bids were opened and we have invited SubTech to negotiate the salvage proposal,” Nasasira said.

He, however, said the Government had also requested the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), which sent three experts to probe the sinking of the ferry and to study the feasibility of salvaging the wagon ferry, to send experts to study the salvage proposal and offer advice during negotiations.

Two divers from the firm in June, shortly after a futile attempt by Kenyan divers to locate the wreckage, located the ship that sunk 50 nautical miles from Port Bell near Kuye Island.

Nasasira did not say whether any firms had submitted bids and their salvage plans but said the Government was moving ahead with negotiations.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});