Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho has ordered all private properties blocking beach access immediately demolished.
He said on Tuesday that most Mombasa residents and fishermen are being denied rightful access to the beach by private individuals who have property on the shores of the Indian Ocean.
“I have issued a directive that the all the beach access roads that have been blocked be opened immediately,” Joho said at Treasury Square Mombasa.
He called the Indian Ocean “the very basic natural resources for our people”.
He was rallying residents to register for Huduma Namba.
Any person who has developed next to the beach and blocked access to the beach, thinking they own it, let me warn you: from today, we will start to demolish
“Any person who has developed next to the beach and has blocked access to the beach, thinking that they own it, let me warn you: from today, we will start demolishing,” the governor said.
Joho, who is serving his second term, said his administration will not issue any notices to those who have grabbed public access roads to the beach.
“We will be demolishing without notices. You can go anywhere, you can go to court.
"We will meet in court and deal with you there because we will not allow our people to be denied their right to access the beach,” the county boss said.
He announced that the High Court has ruled that the investor who had reclaimed part of the Tudor Creek at the former Kibarani dumpsite has been ordered to return the title deed.
After closure of the dumpsite, the county government sought court orders to recover the grabbed land.
“I’m glad to report the court has ordered that that title deed be revoked immediately,” Joho said.
He said Joho said parts of the Indian Ocean that had been reclaimed at Kibarani were threatening the status of Mombasa as an island.
