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Kenya: Lamu Island's Water Source Threatened
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The Nation (Nairobi)
9 July 2008
Posted to the web 9 July 2008
Mazera Ndurya
Nairobi
Environmentalists and the National Museums of Kenya want the Government to bar further development on land set aside for water catchment on Lamu Island.
They accuse concerned ministries of turning a blind eye while the wellbeing of the island's population is threatened.
There are fears that the construction of private property in the Shela area, which has sand dunes and is the only source of fresh water for Lamu, could affect supplies to the town.
Lamu Kenya Marine Forum chairman Mohamed Athman urged the Government to intervene urgently.
"We have complained about the danger that demolition of sand dunes poses to the population of Lamu but very little has been done as developers continue building.
"We are calling on the ministries of Water, Lands, Heritage, Tourism and Environment to work together and address this issue," he said.
Issue title deed
"Some people have built their houses within or near a water conservation area. We are not calling for the demolition of these houses but want the area that is not yet affected to be protected," Mr Athman said.
He said the only solution would be to demarcate the land and issue a title deed.
Mr Athman said none of the concerned ministers had toured the area, adding that the status of Lamu town as a World Heritage Site was in danger.
Assistant director of regional museums in charge of Coast Province, Athman Hussein, said the National Museums of Kenya had barred development in the area as it had been earmarked for conservation.
Mr Hussein said that out of the 940 hectares of land allocated for water catchment, about 720 hectares remained unaffected and these needed to be preserved.
"We cannot allow development in the area because if the water supply is tampered with, there will be no heritage to talk of in Lamu," he said.
Meanwhile, the Lamu County Council has stopped issuing licences for land development in the area.
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Council Chairman Hassan Albeity said there were plans to do an inventory of the land and push for proper demarcation and issuance of a title deed.
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