allAfrica.com: Kenya: Courting Disaster in Malindi (Page 1 of 2)

A row is brewing between Malindi residents and the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) for approving the construction of villas and cottages on a lagoon despite earlier protest from the locals, writes Khadija Yusuf.

Malindi is known as the "Little Italian city" due to the heavy presence of Italians in the town.

Consequently, Italian villas, which have become an additional beauty to crystal clear sandy beaches, dot the town right from Watamu to Vimbi Kanani.

The town is one of the popular tourist destinations at the Coast. Here Italians who are the major investors own numerous tourist hotels give, Mombasa a share competition in the hotel and property business.

Those who have been bewitched by it endless beauty, have bought holiday homes.

But now the beauty that has made Malindi unique and attractive is being threatened by the big number of invetsors who want to cash in on the town's popularity.

According to property agents, sandy beach plots in Malindi and Watamu are sold out and property developers are turning to coral cliffs.

"Currently the value of sandy beach plots has gone up. What is left in Malindi and Watamu is only coral beach plots," says Pwani consultant manager Hasting Jefwa.

A row is currently simmering between Watamu residents in Malindi District and the National Environmental Management Authority (Nema) for approving the construction of private villas and cottages on a lagoon despite earlier protest from the locals.

Though letters stopping the construction have been issued, the Project Manager, Mr Walter Kondik, stressed that no one has issued him with any document to stop the project.

The blue lagoon villas project, estimated to cost Sh150 million, is already under way. What has changed though is that Malindi Municipal Council, which had approved the construction of 20 villas, has reduced the numer to six, says Kondik.

However, the locals claimed that the project would pose a serious environment hazard to the fragile marine ecosystem, as raw waste would be discharged in the Indian Ocean.

Fishermen in the area say they use the lagoon for rescue purpose incase a fishermen went missing. Tourists and locals have been using the peninsular as a recreation facility, the protesters further said.

"We have been using the cliff incase of emergency when fishermen go missing and the locals and tourists have also been using the facility for recreational purposes," said Mr Athman Abeid, a local fisherman. The Director of Malindi Marine Association Mr Athman Seif said Nema had contravened environmental laws which bar housing projects 30 metres from the high water mark.

The Chairman of the Malindi Green Town Movement, Mr Godfrey Karume, said the investor had constructed a road along the beach and heavy trucks transporting building materials for the project would interfere with the breeding grounds for turtles and other marine species. Environmentalists also expressed fears that the coral rock where the project was being constructed was too weak and corroded thus posing a great danger to tourists who will be staying at the villas.

Tourist hotels sharing the beachfront with the proposed villas have also expressed their anxiety on the dangers posed for marines and vow to move to court to stop the project.

So far, Barracuda Inn Hotel has written to Blazer Watamu Limited, the company constructing the controversial exclusive villas on top of a cliff off Watamu village to stop construction.

A letter from Nyakoe Macharia and Company Advocates addressed to the Blazer Watamu Limited company representative says Barracuda Inn Hotel will move to court if construction on the lagoon is not stopped.

Barracuda Inn Hotel accuses Blazer Watamu Inn of contempt arguing that despite a stop order from the National Environment tribunal (Net), the company had gone ahead with construction.

The Sh150 million villas project has been a subject of controversy for the last two years now with both parties bickering over its impact on the delicate marine environment.

The project has so far received two stop orders from the Net.

In a stop order dated March 20, the National Environment Tribunal re-enforces an earlier stop order to Blazer Watamu Limited, the company constructing six exclusive villas on a controversial cliff on the Watamu seashore.

The first stop order had been issued early this year following protracted controversy on the project pitting environmental conservation groups and Nema.

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