Has the Likoni ferry linking Mombasa Island to the mainland in Kenya’s coastal city of Mombasa been shut down during the coronavirus crisis? That’s the claim in a document shared on Facebook.
Signed “by management” and with the subject “Likoni ferry lockdown”, the document reads: “The management has learned that there will be closure of Ferry services effective tomorrow 25 March 2020.
“We advise all our staff to arrange temporary alternative residence on the island and other areas of Mombasa.”
According to Kenya Ferry Services, the ferry normally carries “over 300,000 pedestrians and more than 6,000 vehicles daily across the channel” between the island and the mainland. Has the service been shut down?
On 25 March Kenya Ferry Services posted the document on Twitter with “FAKE NEWS” stamped on it in red.
“This is to inform all our customers that ferry operations are going on as per schedule,” KFS tweeted. “Kindly ignore any misleading information from unauthorized source.”
The Likoni ferry service does face restrictions during Kenya’s coronavirus curfew. It’s reported that vehicles will only be able to cross the channel between 11am and 3pm, to allow the smooth flow of pedestrians.
But the ferry has not been shut down. – Grace Gichuhi
Signed “by management” and with the subject “Likoni ferry lockdown”, the document reads: “The management has learned that there will be closure of Ferry services effective tomorrow 25 March 2020.
“We advise all our staff to arrange temporary alternative residence on the island and other areas of Mombasa.”
According to Kenya Ferry Services, the ferry normally carries “over 300,000 pedestrians and more than 6,000 vehicles daily across the channel” between the island and the mainland. Has the service been shut down?
‘Ferry operations going on’
On 25 March Kenya Ferry Services posted the document on Twitter with “FAKE NEWS” stamped on it in red.
“This is to inform all our customers that ferry operations are going on as per schedule,” KFS tweeted. “Kindly ignore any misleading information from unauthorized source.”
The Likoni ferry service does face restrictions during Kenya’s coronavirus curfew. It’s reported that vehicles will only be able to cross the channel between 11am and 3pm, to allow the smooth flow of pedestrians.
But the ferry has not been shut down. – Grace Gichuhi
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Misinformation knows no borders and Africa Check often responds to similar false claims from country to country.
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