A motorboat on a food distribution mission in Tana Delta Sub-County with 18 people on board including Garsen MP Ali Wario Guyo and Galole counterpart Hiribae Said Buya who were reported missing on Saturday has been tracked.

The interior Cabinet Secretary Prof Kithure Kindiki  has assured citizens that all the 18 people on the boat are reportedly safe but are at a yet to be established Location.

“Security agencies have established contact with a passenger in the boat that went missing earlier this evening in the waters of Tana River. All the eighteen passengers and crew are so far safe but are stranded at a yet to be established location. A multi-agency search and Resue mission spearheaded by the Kenya Coast Guard is underway,” Kindiki said on Saturday.

According to the Kenya Red Cross Regional Coordinator, Hassan Musa, the team left Idsowe village at 10am on a motorboat for a humanitarian mission in Mlima Abo.

The team consisted of 20 people including the two MP’s and other Members of The County Assembly among them, Kinakomba MCA Hamid Babusa, Garsen North MCA Semi Dumba, and nominated MCA Haoddo.

It was reported that only one team touched base at Garsen and the other had not arrived by 7pm.

“The boat, with 20 occupants, left for the humanitarian mission and was supposed to link up with another team. But to this moment their whereabouts remain unknown,” he said.

Musa explained that the group missing decided to take a shortcut to Garsen and that’s how they parted  ways with the flanking team.

It is being suspected that the team might have run into rough waters in their short cut or unfamiliar tributary.

The Tana Delta OCPD Salim Fundi confirmed the reports adding that a search team had been dispatched.

The team is said to have been running rescue missions on a private boat along River Tana since it broke its banks.