Mombasa-Based Firm Builds East Africa's First Modern Sh10 Million Boat

A Kenyan-based firm has manufactured a modern boat, the first one of its kind to be made in the East African region. The locally manufactured vessel was assembled by Mombasa-based Associated Vehicle Assemblers (AVA).

AVA is one of the assemblers of some global top brands including; Toyota and Scania. The leisure and fishing vessel made its first trip at the scenic Mtwapa creek in Mombasa.

Dubbed ‘Tintin Tu’, the boat is worth over Sh10 million. It was assembled at the plant in Miritini, Mombasa with the help of Volvo Penta, an industrial and a marine power system specialist.

AVA projects manager Mark Jennings said the construction of the boat started in 2013.

“The project was initiated by David Williamson (AVA factory manager). We bought it as a kit from Holland to be assembled at the AVA plant,” said Mr Jennings.

“It has taken us five years of hard work and this is the outcome now.”

The boat is owned by Mr Williamson and has three ensuite bedrooms fitted with an air conditioning and music system. It has a capacity of six people.

“I would come up with an interior design then after sometime demolish it until it worked,” said Mr Jennings adding that the boat meets the world standards.

AVA Production Manager Moses Abiero said the company looks to build more boats in the near future.

“It has taken us five years as it was just a project. We concentrate more on assembling commercial and passenger vehicles. If orders are placed (for the boat) it will take less than eight months. This was just a learning project we will now venture into roll-out,” said Abiero.

“It is the first time and amazingly when we put it on water everything worked. The government should support the making of boats locally,” he said.

“We are progressing to more numbers in future as making them on a larger scale will be cheaper.”