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Nassir said the net effect of the non-operating ferry has been that all the properties on the Mtongwe side have depreciated in value.
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This, he said, is due to inaccessibility to Mtongwe.
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Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Sherrif Nassir has explained why the Likoni floating bridge is no longer operational.
Nassir spoke on Wednesday night during an interview with KTN.
Nassir said the Likoni floating bridge used to connect the people of Mtongwe to the people of Liwatoni.
"This is an issue that I am aware the current MP for Mvita has been crying about. This is the crossing from Mtongwe to Liwatoni. There used to be a ferry service there. It has been a disaster, because one fine morning it works, then after that it doesn't work," he said.
Nassir said the net effect of the non-operating ferry has been that all the properties on the Mtongwe side have depreciated in value.
This, he said, is due to inaccessibility to Mtongwe.
He said after the non-operating ferry, a floating bridge was introduced to ease accessibility. The governor said the floating bridge was really helpful to the residents.
"Right now I am being informed that they have shelved off that particular floating bridge. I stand to be corrected, you might want to check with the relevant department whether they have permanently shelved it off," Nassir said.
"But as it stands right now, there is no floating bridge. The floating bridge was there for certain hours, and the reason for it being there was to try and decongest the main ferry."
Nassir said that currently, they look at ships that want to come in and whenever the ships come in, they have to be held back for a while because of the presence of the floating bridge.
"I was in Mtongwe two days ago. Someone close to me passed away. Water transport is one of the best things that can ever happen to Mombasa, that is why we are advertising for water transport systems. I had to go to the burial in Mtongwe. The easiest way for me to get to Mtongwe was by sea," he said.
Nassir said he was given access to the sea route because he is the governor.
He said if he had not used the sea route, he would have had to wait for the main ferry to go round Mtongwe which would have taken him almost an hour.
But using the sea route allowed to him, Nassir arrived at Mtongwe in less than ten minutes.
When in Mtongwe, Nassir said local entrepreneurs who own small boats approached him and said they used to be allowed to ferry people from Mtongwe to Liwatoni before the floating bridge was closed.
"What I am being told the reason why they closed it, and I think the relevant guys who closed it are best suited to explain why, was because the time the ship took waiting there was too long," Nassir said.