Management board for Mama Ngina Waterfront gazetted

The Sh460 million Mama Ngina Waterfront now has a management board in place.

Details contained in a Kenya Gazette notice number 8552 published on Septermber 13th, 2019 by the Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary,Mr Najib Balala stated the the new board shall have chairperson appointed by the Minister himself.

Members of the board shall include Principal Secretary,State Department of Tourism, County Secretary, Mombasa County Government, Director General- National Museums of Kenya, chaiperson Kenya Coast Tourism Association (KCTA),representative from the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry,chairperson Kenya Tourism Federation, chairperson Mombasa Golf Club and a representative of the Law Society of Kenya, Mombasa branch.

Balala said that a coordinator for the Waterfront shall be appointed and also serve as secretary to the board.

''The board shall provide effective oversight over the development of the Mama Ngina Waterfront. The board shall also prepare and submit to the Cabinet Secretary a sustainability plan for the Mama Ngina Waterfront,'' Balala stated.

He also said that the board shall also be tasked with identifying additional sources of funding for the development of Mama Ngina Waterfront and recommend the same to the cabinet secretary.

''With approval from the Cabinet Secretary, the board shall solicit support from development partners for the development of Mama Ngina Waterfront,'' the CS said.

The board shall serve for a term of three years.

And reacting to the development, KCTA chairman,Mr Victor Shitakah said that it a big honour to have KCTA sit in the Mama Ngina board.

''We are delighted at the gesture to have KCTA sit on the new board and wish to assure the Cabinet Secretary of our total support and efforts to help Mombasa tourism grow in leaps and bounds,'' Shitakah who is also the Regional General Manager for Pride Inn Hotels said.

The park has been selected to host this year’s World Tourism Day and Mashujaa Day celebrations respectively.

The waterfront park, which sits on a 26-acre parcel of land facing the Likoni crossing channel, was supposed to have been completed by May 31.

During the commissioning of the project, President Uhuru Kenyatta had given the contractor, Suhufi Agencies Limited, a 150-day deadline to complete the whole project.

However, due to changes in designs, it had to be delayed.

According to the project designs, the Mama Ngina Waterfront Park would be an integrated urban destination for culture, festivals, shopping, dining and relaxation.

Notable features of the initial designs of the project are the state-of-the-art amphitheater, the Kilindini Cultural Centre, the Pigeon Towers, the traders’ kiosk, the leisure walk-ways, the ablution blocks and the two main gates leading to the park.

Balala said Kenya Power Company has installed street lights, whereas the contractor is finishing on the ablution blocks, the presidential dais and the cultural centre.

The transformation of the park located on Mama Ngina Drive into a modern public facility is part of ongoing efforts to restore the glory of Mombasa as a leading tourist destination in the region.