NAIROBI, Kenya – Mining and Blue Economy Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho has ordered a fact-finding investigation into allegations that a contractor flouted government directives on the disposal of dredged material off the Mombasa coast.
The directive follows complaints by Old Town fisherfolk, who accuse the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) of dumping sand, silt, clay, gravel, and debris onto key fishing grounds—severely depleting fish stocks and threatening livelihoods.
Joho said the contractor had been instructed to dispose of the material 17 kilometres offshore, warning of punitive action if the orders were ignored.
“If the contractor is found culpable, necessary action will be taken,” the CS said during a high-level stakeholder meeting in Mombasa.
The meeting brought together fisherfolk representatives from the city’s Beach Management Units (BMUs), led by chairperson Brian Mwakudza Maojo, alongside County Assembly Speaker Aharub Khatri, Members of the County Assembly, and County Executive Committee Member for Environment and Water Kibibi Abdalla.
Maojo urged swift intervention, saying the dredging had left many struggling to make ends meet.
“We have endured losses for far too long. The dredging has damaged our fishing grounds and left many of us struggling to survive,” he said.
Speaker Khatri encouraged those with proof—such as video evidence of dumping—to present it directly to Joho, assuring that the County Assembly would defend fisherfolk rights.
Patrick Mbelle, Chair of the County Assembly Committee on Blue Economy, Agriculture, and Livestock, commended national investments in Kidongo and Liwatoni but stressed the need for compensation.
“Indirect compensation through capacity building is essential if these communities are to recover,” he said.
Grievances Beyond Dredging
Fisherfolk at the meeting also raised long-standing concerns, including:
- Lack of compensation for 16 boats affected by the Standard Gauge Railway project.
- Environmental damage from dredging.
- Delayed delivery of five boats under the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Socio-Economic Development Project (KEMFSED).
- Encroachment of landing sites by private developers.
- Inactivity at the Liwatoni Fisheries Complex.
On a separate matter, Joho directed five BMU chairpersons to inspect the Mavuno ya Bahari eco-restaurant site and submit a report to his office.
The CS pledged to address the grievances and revealed plans to boost coastal fish production through aquaculture projects involving rabbitfish, tilapia, and prawns.
He said negotiations for KEMFSED II were underway and tasked the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute with developing income-generating programmes and training for fisherfolk.
The meeting came after Old Town BMUs met the County Assembly to protest dredging activities and demand transparency on the Sh2 billion KEMFSED allocation for Mombasa County.
