Port Reitz, now a cargo handling area

By Philip Mwakio

Nestled northwest of Mombasa Island is Port Reitz, once a glamorous hood enjoying clear views of the ocean and famed to be at par with upmarket estates such as Nyali and Kizingo for its class and affluence.

Unfortunately, Port Reitz lost its past glamour following years of negligence and lack of maintenance.

Previously known for its cleanliness, availability of water paved streets with well-lit tarmacked roads, Port Reitz is today a pale shadow of its former self.

Palatial colonial homes with vast lawn grounds have been replaced with Container Freight Stations (CFS), motor vehicle yards and endless high wall boundaries that have garages and godowns.

Neighbouring on both sides is Chaani and Bomu estates, both low cost residential houses, that are home to over 300,000 Mombasa residents.

British army

Port Reitz got its name from British Army Colonel Reitz, who operated from a military base that now is Port Reitz District Hospital. A story is told of strict council by-laws, which set Port Reitz way above the rest. All houses, which were mainly for the rich, were not allowed to have concrete walls built around them.

Instead, the hedges around these homes were made of flowers and other exotic plants. Port Reitz was mainly home to British and Italian expatriates who found solace here away from a congested Mombasa Island.

The awe-inspiring Port Reitz creek overlooking the Kilindini harbour is a scenery to behold. Here, from the confines of homes atop the creek, one can see ships sail in and out of the harbour including the Kenya Navy Mkunguni jetty.

Commercial activities

Following the hue and cry from the general public over the state of the only tarmacked road leading to the hospital, the Government recently moved in to repair it.

The hood is a stone throw away from the Moi International Airport and is served by public transport, which charges Sh30 to ply between the hood and the Mombasa Central Business District. A former area resident, Mwinyi Jahazi, describes Port Reitz today as the worst place to live over time. "Heavy commercial trucks that drive in and out of the container yards have made it look like a cargo handling area more than a residential place," says Mwinyi.

An increase in commercial enterprises in the area has pushed the price of houses through the ceiling.

An expert in real estate gives an estimate of a house with a small compound, which can be used to store containers, as fetching as much as Sh30 million, while the cost of renting a three bedroom house ranges from Sh15,000.