Some 10,000 families in Mombasa will benefit from Sh144 million from the British government.
The amount, targeted at vulnerable families living in informal settlements, will be channeled to them directly through the mobile cash transfer programme to cushion them from the negative effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Speaking after a meeting with Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho in his office on Tuesday, British High Commissioner Jane Marriott said this is part of the UK’s support to 50,000 people in informal settlements in Kenya's major cities of Mombasa and Nairobi.
“In particular, the UK partnership will further help vulnerable communities in Mombasa access food and other basic supplies. This support will also stimulate the wider local economy as most of the basic items are supplied by small business owners living within their communities,” Marriott said.
The money will help with their most pressing needs such as rent, food or other basic items, she said.
Joho said through the partnership with the UK, they are seeking more funds for different programmes and projects to have water and open up the county’s economy.
The governor said since Mombasa has no source of water of its own, the county relies on Kwale, Kilifi and Taita Taveta counties .
“We have ambitions of having our own source of clean and fresh water. This partnership with the UK will be of great help,” Joho said.
The county has plans of establishing desalination plants in Likoni and Shanzu so as to take advantage of the Indian Ocean, which is salty.
Joho also revealed that the UK has been supporting Mombasa, in partnership with the national government, in funding feasibility studies for the Special Economic Zones in Mombasa.
“We are in discussions with the national government on policy realignment so as to achieve short-term goals in preparation for the Dongo Kundu SEZ,” he said.
His main focus now is to ensure residents recover economically from the slump occasioned by the pandemic, Joho said.
“The effects of the pandemic has been great globally. Now imagine how it has been in informal settlements in Mombasa. That is my focus now – to help residents recover through various initiatives."
Marriott visited Moroto slums in Tudor to see first-hand the potential beneficiaries of the programme.
Edited by R.Wamochie
