The Kenya Wildlife Services has warned residents and tourists against reckless dumping of waste along the beaches in Malindi as it is harmful to the environment.
Malindi Marine National Park and Reserve senior warden Francis Mbaka said some of the waste dumped are a threat to marine life such as turtle who easily mistake it for food and when they consume it, they die.
Addressing stakeholders during the monthly clean-up exercise organised by Progress Welfare Association of Malindi at Coco beach area, Mbaka, who was recently transferred to Malindi from Wajir, said he was happy to find such collaborations aimed at making sure the environment was clean.
He said he was impressed by the stakeholders who were eager and willing to protect the environment by collecting garbage which is thrown by residents.
“Honestly it is very disgusting when our own learned people come around visiting and throwing garbage everywhere,” the senior warden said.
Mbaka further said the monthly clean-up exercise was a very important activity and encouraged all the stakeholders to continue with the good work as the garbage, especially plastics, were a problem to the marine ecosystem.
He said by cleaning the beach it not only helps in ensuring the environment was clean but also enables the people to enjoy good health.
The warden said KWS will support the stakeholders as an institution so as to make sure the beaches are clean.
Present during the clean-up exercise included the representatives of Pwam, National Police Service, National Museums of Kenya, KWS, Muslim community, beach operators and curio sellers, among many others.
Kate Mwikali, the chairperson of Pwam, said the monthly clean-up adopted the Nyumba Kumi initiative where groups cleaned their area within the locality, and that the team at Coco beach was just among the many others.
She said there were more than 40 other groups in different areas along the beaches and some within the town and estates where they do
“There is also a lorry that has been given by one of the members of Pwam to pick the waste collected from the different places,” she said.
The OCS Malindi Joseph Okuna said they were happy to be associated with the clean-up exercise as it not only gave them a chance to be part of the environmental campaign, but also helped them do research to know the kind of crimes committed in the beaches.
He said the waste collected will help them know what criminal activities take place in the beaches so as to engage the youth by sensitising them against engaging in crime.
“Besides joining the community doing the community service together we want to understand what happens within the shores of this ocean,” Okuna said.
Vincent Mwangolo, a Malindi suncounty-based environment officer, said they were happy to see the cooperation exhibited by stakeholders to ensure the environment is kept clean.
He said normally they segregate the garbage and keep them in different sacks from plastic bottles, metal and the other type of wastes so as to ensure they train youths on how to benefit from wastes.
Doris Kamuye, the curator of Malindi Museum, urged residents of Malindi to visit the historical monuments in Malindi such as Vasco da Gama, the House of Columns and the museum.
“So many people are visiting the sites but unfortunately residents are not coming to visit, please make use of the rich history by creating time to visit these sites,” she said.