My 8-hour fight to save 10 kin in Indian Ocean — Shekue Kahale

The ill-fated boat. Three bodies have not been found. FILE PHOTO | KALUME KAZUNGU | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Speaking to journalists from his bed at his home in Kizingitini Island on Thursday, Kahale recalled how he held onto his four children and his three nephews for over four hours after the tragedy.
  • A weeping Kahale said he made sure some of the children held onto him and the rope he untied from the boat as he tried swimming to safety.
  • However, one by one he watched as the children were plagued by fatigue and dizziness, and loosened their grip on him and the rope.

Details have emerged on how Lamu East parliamentary candidate Shekue Kahale swam for over eight hours as he battled to save his life and that of his 10 relatives after a boat capsized in Indian Ocean on Sunday.

The boat, a small 40HP Yamaha Enduro Powered craft, was heading to Lamu Island from Kizingitini when it overturned at Manda Bruno Channel.

WIFE

The vessel was carrying the coxswain, Kahale and his 10 family members — his wife, four children, his sister and her three children, his aunt and the boat coxswain.

The craft capsized at around 10am on Sunday due to the rough tides.

Kahale is the lone survivor of the tragedy and was found alive at Majunguni in Shanga Island on Monday.

4 CHILDREN

Speaking to journalists from his bed at his home in Kizingitini Island on Thursday, Kahale recalled how he held onto his four children and his three nephews for over four hours after the tragedy.

A weeping Kahale said he made sure some of the children held onto him and the rope he untied from the boat as he tried swimming to safety.

However, one by one he watched as the children were plagued by fatigue and dizziness, and loosened their grip on him and the rope.

One by one, they were swallowed by the rough Indian Ocean waters.

Mr Shekue Kahale. He lost 10 of his relatives in the tragedy. FILE PHOTO | KALUME KAZUNGU | NATION MEDIA GROUP

Kahale said when the accident occurred, the boat only had two men, him and the coxswain, Mohamed Shamti, while the rest were women and children.

DEEP SEA

Immediately after the boat overturned, Kahale tried rescuing all his kin— including his wife, sister and aunt— but that he was overwhelmed and watched them being swept away by the heavy currents at Manda Bruno Channel.

All this while, Kahale held onto all the seven children that were on board and swam for over four hours in the hope that he would find help.

It never came.

This is because ill-fated vessel was in the middle of the deep seas where boats rarely ply.

He said when it started raining, most of the children were fatigued and that is when they let go one by one.

They died as he swam just to remain afloat, unable to help.

“We had passed Mtangawanda Jetty heading to Lamu but on reaching Manda Bruno, our boat was overpowered by the high tides and capsized,” he recalled.

TIDES

“I have been at sea for years as a fisherman and so I tried having the children hold onto me as I swam to rescue my wife, sister and aunt, which proved difficult due to their weight

“You know they were adults and so I was overwhelmed and had to watch them get swept away one by one as they cried for me to save them.

He said he was overpowered by the rough tides.

“Four hours down, the kids were still holding on as I swam in the hope of spotting anything or anyone who could help but to no avail.

“It started raining and kids couldn’t take it anymore. They let go one by one and died as I watched. All that time I could also see some boats from far but no matter how loud I tried to scream for help, they couldn’t hear me.

PATROL

“The last kid died after eight hours of struggling with him. It was around 6pm and the sun was setting by that time,” said Kahale.

Darkness, he said, almost got him at sea.

“I decided to swim for hours before I came to an island where I was found by the rescue team,” he said.

Kahale called on the national and county governments to increase marine patrols and let them operate for 24 hours to rescue people when accidents occur at sea.

“I am sure my family could have been saved if there had been active marine patrols on the Indian Ocean by the time the accident occurred,” he said.

4 HOURS

“The kids held onto life for over four hours. I believe that was enough time for them to have been saved if there had been patrols.”

Meanwhile, one more body of the 11 people who died during the tragedy was recovered on Wednesday— bringing to nine those found.

The remains of Kahale’s sister were recovered near Manda Bruno, according to Shanga Beach Management Unit (BMU) Chairman Ali Awadh.

He said the ill-fated boat was also retrieved on Wednesday evening at Shanga Islands, Lamu East.

“Its engine disappeared,” he said.

2 MISSING

He said the body and boat were retrieved by local divers who have pitched camp in the area for the past five days since the accident occurred.

Two more bodies belonging to Kahale’s child and that of his sister are yet to be traced in the ocean.

Awadh said the search was still on until the last body is retrieved.

The deaths of his relatives came days after he lost his bid for the Lamu East seat.

He emerged second after the incumbent, Athman Sharif Ali, who garnered 4,717 votes, while Kahale, popularly known as ‘Mwanati’ got 4,384.