Kenyans living along the coastal strip have been urged to be at the forefront of protecting mangroves as one measure of mitigating climate change effects.
Jomvu MP Badi Twalib said that it was important for residents, especially those depending on the ocean for their economic activities, to be climate change champions by ensuring that mangroves are protected from disruption.
Twalib was speaking during the sixth edition of the Annual Jomvu Boat Racing Competition at Mkupe Creek on Saturday evening.
“We are using this to competition to sensitize the community on the issues of climate change effects. We want to discourage them from cutting mangroves and understand the importance of planting and protecting them to safeguard our environment,” said Twalib.
Mangrove cover in Kenya now stands at about 54,000 hectares, which is a drop from 60,000 hectares back in 2017.
Twalib urged the ministry of blue economy to empower the communities living around the areas saying that they had demonstrated great ability to preserve and protect the mangroves.
He at the same time called on the national government to empower communities living around Mkupe, Tudor and Portreitz Creeks following the completion of the Sh4.5 billion Makupa Bridge saying that most of them were affected by the construction of the bridge.
“Construction of the Makupa Bridge disrupted their economic activities. Now that the bridge is completed and they are returning to their normal activities, it is important for the ministry to compensate them for the time they lost,” Twalib said.
The MP also called on the county government of Mombasa to take up the Jomvu boat racing competition to be part of the county’s annual activities which he said will play a significant role in promoting sports tourism in Mombasa.
The competition has over the years continued to attract thousands of locals within Jomvu and subsequent creeks around Mombasa who compete for the Sh40,000 prize money.
Twalib said that he came up with the idea of hosting the event six years ago because most of the locals could not afford to go to famous public beaches in Mombasa like Jomo Kenyatta Public beach commonly referred to as pirates to enjoy with their families during the December festivities.
“The competition has grown over the years to attract people from different parts of Mombasa and not just Jomvu”
“We want to grow the sport so that we can have our people competing in national and international races across the world,” said Twalib.
The previous six editions have been funded by the Jomvu NG-CDF with support also coming from the Badi Twalib Foundation.
Mombasa governor Abdulswamad Nassir who was in attendance promised that the county will take up the event from next year to revamp it and make it bigger.
He directed his County executives for sports and tourism to sit down with the organizers of the event and discuss the way forward for the competition with the county’s support.
“We are going to make this an international competition from next year. It will remain the Jomvu International Boat racing Competition uner the patronage of Badi Twalib but with an international outlook with the help of the county,” said Nassir.
Mombasa county executive for youth and sports Ken Ambani reiterated that the Nassir led administration was passionate about the youth adding that as a cabinet they will spearhead the formulation and passing of the necessary bill at the assembly for a county takeover of the event.
“We want to attract tourist and investors here to make the sport bigger so that the youth can benefit economically and also improve on tourism,” said Ambani.
His sentiments were echoed by his tourism counterpart Mohamed Osman who said that the county will put the event as part of their annual tourism calendar of events.
“We are going to talk to Magical Kenya and other tourism stakeholders to put this event as one of their signature product to sell Mombasa”
“We are striving as a county to open up Mombasa as the leading tourist destination,” said Osman.
Osman also called on locals and visitors in Mombasa to join the governor at the Sh450 million refurbished Mama Ngina Waterfront Park for the annual governor’s fireworks New Year crossover party.
“This time round we have decided that we shall have our local artists entertain you, no foreign artists will be performing tonight. We want to empower our local artists,” he said.