Mohammed Hersi . A hotelier passionate about Tourism & Governance in Africa

Cry my beloved city of Mombasa.

In the last few days the traffic gridlock  at Kibarani  is simply crazy .

The main cause of this mess is mainly attributed to trucks but you will ask me we have always had trucks.

Now something happened on the left side of the road as you start to ascend the Kibarani hill. Some people were allowed to reclaim land from the ocean and all three of them look like are in heavy commercial vehicle business. While going uphill  was already a challenge why would any sensible authority allow anyone to turn this area into a truck yard making an already bad situation even worse.

Now why would any authority be it county or national choose to look the other way when such crazy move is being undertaken right under their nose.

Where is NEMA  ? They never hesitate to prosecute even when you chose to alter the size of your Verandah?

Where are the overzealous county Inspectorate?

What about KPA? When private individuals are busy backfilling  the ocean again right under their watch. Is this where impunity has taken us

Now we have close to 200+ trucks entering or leaving these new land while one actually  looks like a yard to store coal. Now surely how on earth would NEMA choose to look the other way when such a serious pollutant is set up right next to a mass of water ?

The only  entry into Mombasa island now belongs to truckers  while in serious countries trucks are never allowed anywhere near the city.

For the first time I see  NO future for Mombasa.  Now that the Dongo Kundu bypass to South Coast is entering the 2nd & 3rd phase then Mombasa and it’s  little cousin Mtwapa  will be forgotten as they fight for space to be be the dirtiest and traffic gridlocked place on Kenya Coast.

To Governor Joho , you and I are close friends but I drop this right at your doorstep.  You have the power  , you have the authority to restore sanity . You have the energy ,I have seen your energy levels on other issues. This matter now needs your full attention and we can nolonger wish  it away.   I am afraid this is now sheer madness and no investor let alone a tourist be it domestic or international would waste their money on Mombasa. As Tourism stakeholders  and Mombasa residents you have our full support in stopping trucking companies turning the Kibarani area into a parking area.

To CS  Macharia  you equally need to give your personal attention to this Kibarani  woes. This is the entry and exit to Mombasa city.  We appreciate you are  focussed on the SGR but how will anyone get the new SGR station when we can’t even get past  Kibarani?

To those businessmen  I leave you with this >>>  Life is NOT all about money. You can still do legitimate business without violating the rights of others or damaging the environment. .You may pay your way to get all  the approvals.

Do you sleep well when you see the mess you are causing?

Patients dying in traffic gridlock because the ambulance could not find a way through. What  is the use to be the highest donor at your Mosque , Church or Temple when day in day out you choose to do all the wrong things. Trust me it will catch up with you. Meanwhile we shall NOT choose to look the other way , we shall ensure the authorities do the right thing.

Disclaimer: We have good serious trucking companies who operate in a professional manner. The serious ones have even bought land in Mariakani  while the lazy  ones who don’t see the future are busy insisting to have their trucks next to KPA  head office.

Mohammed Hersi

Chairman Kenya Coast Tourism Association  & a Mombasa resident.