I have been a resident of Mombasa
for the last ten years and during this period I have come face to face with the
many problems faced by residents of Mombasa County and the Coast province at
large. These problems can squarely be attributed to failed leadership. As we
enter into the final stretch of the campaigns, those seeking elective positions
in Mombasa especially the gubernatorial position should clearly tell us how
they will deal with these problems. Mombasa lies at the shores of the Indian
Ocean and for this reason it offers sand and sun to tourists mostly from the
European nations during winter season. Being a tourist resort and seaport town
it is expected that communication and transport infrastructure, waste disposal
and sewerage systems and security among others will be of the highest
standards. However the story on the ground is entirely a different one
altogether.
Moi International Airport is the
entry point for most domestic and international tourists visiting the various touristic
destinations in Mombasa. As one drives from the airport to the Makupa causeway
he/she encounters endless traffic jams and roadside structures not reflective
of the tourist resort town that Mombasa is. I wonder what first impression we
want to create to our esteemed visitors. The drive along Kibarani section of
the Makupa causeway is another of the many unpleasant drives one will have all
the way to their destination. For years now the Mombasa Municipal Council (MMC)
has been using the section between the Makupa causeway on your left as you
drive out of town and the creek next to the port as a dumpsite. This has attracted
all sorts of scavengers including human. The smoke from burning refuse combined
with the stench from decaying waste matter leaves the place with one hell of a
smell - it gets worse during the rainy season. This section of the road is also
hilly or sloppy depending on whether you are driving from or to the island and
because of the many trucks collecting or dropping containers to the port or various
CFSs around the port, its also prone to endless traffic jams with many man
hours lost here. Now Mr. Aspiring Mombasa Governor, how does this reflect on
the first-time tourists to Mombasa? What plans do you intend to put in place to
deal with the dumpsite? How do you intend to decongest the town and most
especially around the port? How do you intend to improve the road
infrastructure around and along the airport so that visiting tourists,
investors and other business people or even the residents of these environs do
not waste precious time in traffic jams?
