The Nyali Beach Management Unit has threatened to disrupt the ongoing dismantling of a barge along Mkomani Dimbwi Rose/Kenyatta beach within the Indian Ocean.
The adjacent beach famously known as Samaki Lane is within retired president Uhuru Kenyatta’s private residence and the residences of other prominent personalities in the coast region.
The unit chairman Said Hamid warned that enough is enough and they have resolved not to stomach the situation any longer.
He said the ongoing dismantling of the berge into scrap metal has affected fishing in the area.
“Our members who depend on fishing to earn a living are suffering as they are counting losses due to the ongoing exercise,” he said.
Hamid said to make matters worse the exercise has affect eco environment system along their Mkomani beach area.
He spoke after leading his members in a protest along the beach area in Nyali constituency, Mombasa county.
The Nyali Beach Management Unit chairman told the media they have exhausted all avenues for their problems to be heard and have now resorted to protest action.
Hamid said its is regrettable that none of the elected leaders in the area has come to their rescue.
He added that they have moved from office to office of the relevant authority to seek for their intervention but it has all proven to be futile.
“To make matters worse even the county government has abandoned us,” he said.
The unit chairman told the media that they have a membership of over 300 fishermen whose livehood depends on the fishing in the area.
Hamid told the media that local politicians live in the area which has been turned into a scrap metal yard.
He explained boats are being used to carry the scrap metal from the berge which is being dismantled for onward transportation on land.
“We wonder how the county government can allow the exercise to take place without involving us through public participation,” he said.
The unit chairman told the media that since the exercise started it has caused pollution with oil spilling into the ocean which has affected the fishing sector in the area.
Hamid has appealed to the government through Mining and Blue Economy Cabinet Secretary Ali Hassan Joho to come to their rescue.
He said the CS is one of their own and asked him to intervene so that they can continue get their livelihood through the setor.
“We also ask for compensation from the government,” he said.
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