Kilifi residents want rotting sea creature removed

Residents of Kilifi are calling for quick action from the health officials to remove a rotting sea creature that washed ashore recently.

They said the smell from the rotting carcass had become unbearable and posed a health risk to them.

They now want the Ministry of Public Health to give a directive on how the National Museums of Kenya will preserve the carcass.

Coast Sea Survival team chairman Captain Shallo Issa who is also one of the fishermen in Kilifi town said they feared the rotting creature could bring contamination.

He said the creature from the shark family could have been injured by ship propellers in the deep sea leading to its death.

“We contacted the museum officials who said they would cut it into small pieces and throw it into the sea.

But doing that will contaminate the water and locals who eat fish from the sea could be affected,” said Captain Issa.

Early this week the decaying animal was spotted by locals who had gone to swim at the beach near the County commissioner Mr Albert Kobia’s residence in Kilifi Town.

Mr Issa called for the relevant ministry to cut the decaying carcass into small pieces and bury it to protect the locals from possible disease outbreak as a result of contamination.

He said locals living near the Kilifi Bridge, fishermen and fish sellers have been greatly affected by the stench produced by the rotting carcass as they cannot go about their business in comfort.