Kunta Kinteh Ferry Service Disrupted After President Barrow Visits Kanilai Ferry

President Barrow inspects Kanilai Ferry © Gambia Ferry Service

By Edward Francis Dalliah

A disruption to the Kunta Kinteh ferry occurred just barely days after President Adama Barrow visited the Kanilai ferry, which is currently slipped up at Banjul shipyard for maintenance. Repairs are underway on the Kanilai ferry, a vital transport vessel for local communities using the Banjul-Barra ferry crossing. Meanwhile, the Kunta Kinteh ferry, which is in service, drifted overnight, denying commuters from using the Ferry Service to work until around 1pm yesterday.

The Kanilai and Kunta Kinteh ferries serve as the primary modes of travel for passengers going to work and business across the Banjul-Barra ferry crossing point. It also serves as a major route for the transportation of goods and services. After a complete breakdown of ferry services last year, the Kunta Kinteh ferry was first repaired and is currently in service, while the Kanilai ferry is currently undergoing significant restoration to ensure it remains serviceable after experiencing a breakdown in April last year.

A public notice dated 17th January 2025 highlighted that there was a delay in ferry service due to the Kunta Kinteh ferry experiencing drifting overnight on 16th January 2025 due to heavy wind, and as a result, operation of the ferry started around 1 pm. This disruption in service forced commuters to return home instead of going to work and business, forcing other commuters to use boats to travel across the Banjul-Barra crossing point. Following up on the notice 2 hours later, the Ferry Service updated the public that service was restored.

Prior to this, a routine visit of government projects by President Adama Barrow brought him to the Banjul shipyard, where he received a briefing from officials overseeing the repairs. The team explained the scope of work being carried out on the Kanilai ferry.

An officer involved in the repairs explained that in May of last year, the ferry was docked at the shipyard, and upon inspection, significant damage was discovered. He revealed that most of the vessel’s metal components were corroded, and the engine had broken down. Due to this discovery, he explained there was a lot of time needed to fix the ferry.

The Kanilia ferry went out of service last year [2024] in April, forcing the government through the Ministry of Works, Transport, and Infrastructure and the Gambia Ferry Service to promise the public that the ferry would be up and running in September 2024. However, the deadline for the promise expired, and the ferry was not back in service.

A promise tracker published by Askanwi and FactCheck Gambia revealed that the government failed its promise, and the Kanilai ferry is now expected to return to service in March 2025. After being briefed by the officers of the shipyard, President Barrow told the media that, when the ferry broke down, they decided to dock it at the shipyard to run maintenance, thinking that it would be done in three months. However, when the engineers started the work, it was confirmed it would not be completed within three months.

Ferry Infographics © Askanwi

Commissioned in 2005, the Kanilai ferry has been offering service on the Banjul-Barra route. However, after years of service and insufficient maintenance, it began to experience mechanical failures. In 2018, under the new government, major maintenance was launched to improve the ferry's performance. A report by Foroyaa Newspaper quoted the General Manager of the Banjul Shipyard, Nuha Gassama, saying that the ferry had not undergone such major maintenance since February 2015.

Meanwhile, the ongoing repairs focus on two major areas, which are the body and the engine. The work includes the removal of marine growths under the ferry and the replacement of the metal plates that had suffered wear and tear. The officer revealed that most of the beams were replaced, including the plates covering the body of the ferry. In addition to that, he noted that nearly 80% of the ferry’s seating has been replaced with new angle bars.

After he toured the place, President Barrow expressed satisfaction with the progress of the ongoing work. At present, only the Kunta Kinteh ferry is servicing the route, and the President acknowledged that while the ferry is well-maintained and serviced daily, relying on a single vessel for such an important route is risky. He likened it to driving a vehicle without spare parts.

The overnight drift of the Kunta Kinteh ferry just a day after the President’s visit affirmed the risk the President highlighted: should the Kunta Kinteh ferry be out of service, there will be no ferry available to operate. Meanwhile, the Gambia Ferry Service announced that it would commence 24-hour service in May 2025.

President Barrow inspects Kanilai Ferry © Gambia Ferry Service