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

While we commend Mombasa County and our Governor H.E Hassan Joho for cleaning up our city and closure of Kibarani we must also point out when things are not moving in the right direction.

Restoration of any site and more so a former dumpsite we must engage environmentalist and we are certainly not short of them . True environmentalists are like Doctors , they are so passionate about matters environment in that it is almost a calling.

I am an not environmentalist but I take very keen interest and I read widely on same besides without a healthy environment we can kiss goodbye to tourism.

I am shocked to see artificial turf being laid out at Kibarani. Artificial turf is not creative at all for a park . A park is meant to absorb heat , dust and rain. A park is meant to help a city breathe. Someone at the county is now getting obsessed with artificial turf and if it is a case of supplies let the contractor do some serious work of natural restoration. Laying an artificial turf is simply being lazy.

Artificial turf for the island kerbs along Mwembe Tayari we can live with that but at a public park which you are trying to restore is a big No .

We don’t have to reinvent the wheel , simply borrow a leaf from Haller Park and see what a true restoration should look like .

We need indigenous trees , we need plants that can help clean the toxic dumpsite. We need to see water features to attract birdlife . When we have good growth of different species you attract insects, when you attract insects birds will follow and if you give them appropriate trees to nest then that becomes their home. A park is where you go to be with nature and some artificial turf is NOT nature. It does not absorb any heat it is the wrong thing to have .

A park is where you have benches and go to relax. Giving us sculptures of wildbeestes in Mombasa is a No No . Marine life is facing serious dangers , why not focus on endangered marine life ? Use the same to help our children learn about marine life . Set a marine theme around it .

I am afraid someone who is not creative is making nonsense of a very noble project . If they did JKIA with animal sculptures I am sorry this is the wrong concept and waste of time and money. My Bro Joho please don’t allow this to happen .

It is NOT too late and we can still do the right thing . Restoring Kibarani dumpsite with artificial turf and sculptures of wildlife is simply a shortcut and lacking creativity.

One final bit , let’s not get overly excited about removing the causeway . That causeway is holding 50 years of trash. Are we ready for all that trash to swamp the beach and our waters ?? We must mitigate how to keep away the trash from moving across to Tudor, English Point open seas then to Diani and Watamu . It will be catastrophic.

Think hard folks

Mohammed Hersi
Chairman
Kenya Tourism Federation