A section of elders in Likoni Sub County want to perform rituals before the Likoni floating bridge becomes operational next month.
Led by Hamisi Mwanga, the elders said that rituals will prevent tragedies and other calamities at the bridge.
He called on Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) to offer them a cow or goat for the rituals to appease their ancestors before the bridge is officially launched.
“We have four shrines within the floating bridge area which are Mgolasingo, Mwanamanga, Mwanamweupe, Makame and the government must be ready to appease our ancestors before the bridge is opened for use” said Mwanga.
Mwanga said that failure to perform the rituals, would make the project impossible.
He further advised that a cow or goat be slaughtered to avert tragedy.
However, KeNHA deputy director Coast region Howard Momanyi said they are not aware of the four alleged shrines within the area where the bridge will be situated promising to meet the elders on the issue.
“We were initially informed of a shrine within and it is good that today elders have also gave us more information on other shrines we will cooperate with them,” said Momanyi.
On Wednesday Momanyi led a group of stakeholders at the area including Mwanga to help identify the other shrines but they were forced to cancel the trip since they could not access the area without a boat.
FISHERMEN COMPLAINTS
Beach management unit has also protested the project for allegedly interfering with their fishing activities.
According to the BMU, since the piling for the bridge most of the octopus type of fish escaped because of noise in the area and they want to be compensated.
KeNHA, however, said no compensation will be issued out since the said land belonged to the Kenya Ports Authority and it’s a security zone.
