The government has intervened to end a conflict between engine boat owners and a water bus company that provides transport services in Lake Victoria.
On Wednesday, Homa Bay county commissioner Moses Lilan said they convened a meeting between the warring parties to break the deadlock. The row was caused by the change in the time of picking passengers by the bus company.
The national government administrators engaged residents, beach officials and company officials to find a lasting solution.
At the meeting, residents asked the firm to abide by the rules it had set when its vessels were first introduced in the lake.
Lilan said the matter was resolved on Tuesday and the water buses are expected to return to the water on Thursday. The conflict has been on for one week.
“They agreed to go back and work as per the agreement signed,” Lilan said.
The vessels provide transport services between Mbita point in the mainland and Sena beach in Mfangano Island in Suba North.
Their rivalry came to light after Globology Company Ltd, which owns water buses in the lake, issued a notice to its customers informing them that they had made some changes in their hours of operations.
The management introduced a schedule for the vessels to pick passengers from Mikuyu, Ringiti, Wakula, Nyakweri, Yokia beaches at 6am before they ferry them to Mbita town.
Previously, the water buses were starting their operations at 9am. They would wait and pick passengers at Sena beach before taking them to Mbita.
Sena beach is the main trading centre in Mfangano Island.
The changes made by the company did not go down well with boat operators in the lake.
Many engine boat owners viewed it as unfair competition and a move to kick them out of the lake transport sector.
A boat can carry 20 passengers at a time while a water bus carries about 200 people.
After the adjustment of time, some engine boat operators disrupted operations of water buses plying the Mfangano Island-Mbita town route.
The boat operators, who include beach management unit officials, also increased docking fees for the water bus company.
Ringiti BMU chairman Bernard Ganda accused Globology Company Limited of failing to honour the agreement they made before its vessels entered the lake.
Some of the agreements include picking of passengers at Sena beach, starting operating at 9am and remitting landing fees to beach officials.
“We realised the company stopped paying monthly docking fees of Sh6,000 in the last two years. Let’s abide by the agreement for smooth operations in the lake,” Ganda said.
Residents of Ringiti, Remba and Takawiri islands also complained that the water bus company had increased fare since the beginning of the year.
Mfangano Development Forum member Kasuja Onyonyi said residents were not informed before the transportation fees were increased.
“Nothing has changed to make the company increase the fare. People are going through economic hardships and are unable to pay more,” Onyonyi said.
The company is also said to have started charging children. Children below five years are usually not charged when they are with their parents.
But company communications officer Annie Wanjiru said they will not charge children below three years.
“Globology Limited Company wants to work in a smooth and safe environment to ensure satisfactory customer service,” Wanjiru said
Lilan urged stakeholders in the lake transport sector to operate within the law.
“We want our people to embrace better conflict resolution mechanisms that can enable them live peacefully,” he added.