The Liwatoni Floating Pedestrian Bridge, once heralded as an "engineering marvel" and a silver bullet for the Likoni ferry chaos, is now sinking under the weight of neglect, corruption, and poor planning, destined for the scrapyard just five years after its launch.

Constructed at a staggering cost of KES 1.9 billion by the China Road and Bridge Corporation, the bridge was commissioned in 2020 as an emergency COVID-19 measure to decongest the ferries. Today, it stands as a rusting monument to wasteful public spending—a "white elephant" that impedes the very economy it was meant to serve.

"Demolish It"

Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has confirmed that the government is expediting plans to demolish the structure. "It has become a logistical nightmare," the CS admitted. The bridge’s design, which requires it to be physically opened and closed to allow ships to enter Kilindini Harbour, has caused massive delays for shipping lines. In the maritime world, time is money, and the Liwatoni bridge is costing the port millions.

• Operational Failure: The "swing" mechanism frequently malfunctions, trapping ships or pedestrians for hours. What was meant to be a 24-hour crossing is now a part-time facility, open only during select windows, forcing commuters back to the dangerous ferries.
• Maintenance Black Hole: The steel pontoons are corroding at an alarming rate due to the saline environment and lack of routine maintenance. Insiders claim that funds allocated for its upkeep have "evaporated" in the murky waters of procurement bureaucracy.
• The Dongo Kundu Alternative: The government argues that the upcoming Dongo Kundu bypass will render the bridge obsolete. However, critics point out that the bypass serves motorists, not the thousands of pedestrians who need to cross the channel daily for work.

A Legacy of Waste

For the taxpayer, the Liwatoni bridge is a painful lesson in short-termism. KES 1.9 billion could have bought two new ferries or upgraded the chaotic ramp infrastructure. Instead, it was poured into a temporary fix that became a permanent problem.

As the demolition crews prepare to move in later this year, the bridge will leave behind no legacy other than a debt that Kenyans will be paying long after the last pontoon has been sold for scrap. It is the perfect metaphor for a project driven by optics rather than utility.