The Likoni Ferry crossing is set for a major transformation after the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) unveiled a new Traffic Circulation Management Plan aimed at easing congestion and improving safety for commuters.
The ferry, which serves more than 400,000 passengers and 6,000 vehicles daily, has for years faced pressure from overcrowding, limited holding areas, and overstretched infrastructure.
According to KPA, the new plan will expand and rebuild passenger holding bays, widen landing ramps for vehicles, and introduce pedestrian skybridges alongside safer waiting sheds. A relocated and formalized bus terminal will also be constructed to streamline boarding, while over 900 stalls for informal traders will be created to support small businesses.
Construction will begin next month on the mainland Likoni side and is expected to run for 24 months.
During a stakeholders’ forum held in Mombasa, local leaders, transporters, tour operators, and small business representatives expressed strong support for the initiative.
In a speech read on his behalf by GM Ferry Services Bakari Gowa, KPA Managing Director Capt. William K. Ruto said the redesign is guided by five pillars of connectivity — spatial, functional, environmental, social, and cultural. He pledged that the project will “restore dignity to daily movement” and deliver a safer, smarter, and more inclusive service.
Likoni MP Mishi Mboko welcomed the project, describing it as “long overdue” and noting that past safety breaches could have been avoided if such measures were implemented earlier.
Mombasa County Commissioner Mohamed Noor Hassan also praised the inclusivity of the design, highlighting features that will benefit persons with disabilities and segregate passenger movement to improve safety.
For ferry users, the project promises shorter waiting times, safer crossings, and improved commuter experience.
KPA announced that it will soon hold a larger baraza-style public forum to gather further views from ferry users before construction commences.
