Njuguna Mutonya
23 February 2008
opinion
Nairobi — As we engage in political acrobatics at the House of Peace with Mr Kofi Annan and his team, a few unscrupulous people are subverting the public interest.
After all, apparently no-one is watching these people although the outcome of the peace talks is a matter of life and death for Kenyans.
But there should be no excuse for people who watch over the public interest to abdicate their responsibility by allowing transgressors free passage because, whatever the outcome, we shall continue with our daily routines, however hard the circumstances.
On Sunday, I woke up with inspiration and decided to drive 70km to read the daily newspapers on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.
The Bofa public beach of Kilifi Town is a crescent of white, clean, sand, ringed by jagged coral cliffs and protected by a coconut plantation to the rear where visitors and locals alike, by way of recreation, sit down to listen to the whistling of the wind and the chirping of exotic birds and cicadas.
Several Christmases ago during a family outing , I met the district commissioner at the time barefoot and with his wife and children as they enjoyed the place's serenity.
And it gave me confidence that the administrator and his family were able to enjoy the place's protection at a time when similar facilities in Mombasa were under threat.
But you can imagine my shock when I arrived to find that access to the beach had been cordoned off with barbed wire.
The property surrounding the public beach has apparently changed hands and someone wants to develop it.
Fine, but what about the public beach?
Land speculators have been busy in Mombasa. The open ground outside Makupa Railway Club where the Dockworkers Union holds its campaign rallies and where hundreds of illustrious basketballers have honed their skills, is under threat.
ALTHOUGH PATRIOTIC BUSINESSMEN and women have raised the alarm over the unscrupulous intentions, no-one seems to know how far the deal has gone as the local councillors are equally engrossed in their "eating" antics ahead of the mayoral poll.
It is instructive that some of the names being bandied around for the job have previously been involved in attempts to hive off parts of the open areas.
One shudders to imagine what would happen if they had their way.
The transactions and numerous others which might not have reached the public limelight, are obviously being effected with the full knowledge of the public officers who should realise that the Mombasa residents, despite several bitter losses, have learnt to fight to keep what is theirs.
There are stories from the National Museums of Kenya, the custodians of the national heritage, that some rogue dealers have acquired some monuments in the Old Town and plan to bring them down in order to build modern structures.
Mombasa residents still remember with sadness how one of the gems of the town's skyline and popular meeting place - Manor Hotel - was grabbed, demolished within a week, even before conservationists could have the first protest at the story published in the media.
The grabbers should not be allowed to control the destiny of Mombasa's rich and spiced heritage, which has survived centuries of aggression and occupation and which is still a cornerstone of the Kenya's tourism industry.
While Mr Annan and his team seek a way out of the present political impasse, which will hopefully lead to a new constitutional order complete with a new land policy, the Government should freeze all land deals to stop the residents' disenfranchisement by a few people.
Even with the current laws, it is possible to stop and punish people who abet the theft of public resources.
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