State starts seizure of grabbed portion of Mama Ngina Waterfront Park

A team tasked with repossessing the Mama Ngina Drive's grabbed land starts its work today.

Members of the team expected to take back two plots from private developers are from the National Land Commission (NLC) and the County Government.

NLC chairman Muhammad Swazuri yesterday said the team, which also consists of surveyors, would assemble at the recreation park at about 9am to begin the process of repossessing the land.

President Uhuru Kenyatta, on Monday, ordered NLC and the Ministry of Lands to repossess the two parcels from individuals.

The Head of State spoke while launching the Sh460 million waterfront project in Mombasa. 

Mama Ngina Drive is a famous recreational area within Mombasa City. It attracts locals and foreign tourists.

It is located towards the southern end of the city, adjacent to the Likoni Ferry crossing. The park can be accessed from the CBD using Nyerere Avenue. From Fort Jesus, people use the road near State House, Florida Nightclub and Mombasa Golf Club to access it.

Mombasa County Executive for Lands and Physical Planning Edward Nyale said they were determined to take back grabbed public land.

The President said the two acres should be repossessed before construction of the waterfront project expected to be completed in June.

Muslim for Human Rights director Khelef Khalifa said civil society organisations had fought for many years to protect the Mama Ngina Drive without much success.

“In 1997 we were charged with malicious damage to property and faced the risk of being jailed for defending Mama Ngina Drive land.

"Tycoons had descended on the prime land and were constructing walls when we swung into action,” Khalifa, a former commissioner with the Kenya National on Human Rights, said.