Road contractor pulls down Mombasa's 41-year-old Mamba Village crocodile icon

A Mombasa resident examines the 41-year-old iconic crocodile statue at Mamba Village that was destroyed by a road contractor hired by the Mombasa County government. Mamba Village proprietor Mr Hezron Awiti Bolo said he was not given any notice prior to the destruction. PHOTO | WACHIRA MWANGI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Mr Awiti did not wish to link the incident to political rivalry between him and Governor Hassan Joho.
  • The sculpture was brought down to make way for road expansion.
  • The statue was designed and built by an Israeli architect 41 years ago.
  • Mamba Village is home to a crocodile named Big Daddy, a man-eating monster believed to be over 120 years old.

Nyali MP Hezron Awiti is blaming the county government of Mombasa for destroying the famous crocodile sculpture erected outside Mamba Village.

Mr Awiti told the Nation during an interview Tuesday that officers from the county inspectorate department brought down the iconic structure using an earth mover.

“The sculpture was brought down to make way for road expansion.

“I am not opposed to the project but they should have given us notice to remove it properly,” he said.

However, county executive for Transport and Infrastructure Tawfiq Balala absolved the county government from blame saying they too were shocked by the destruction of the iconic statue.

“We will liaise with Mamba Village to re-erect the statue,” said Mr Balala.

TOURIST ATTRACTION

The statue, an imposing eight-metre long crocodile sculpture designed and built by an Israeli architect 41 years ago, has been a favourite tourist attraction and a sight welcoming visitors to the village.

“It’s very sad for me to see the sculpture lying in ruined rubble. This is history and identity brutally destroyed,” said Mr Awiti.

He, however, did not wish to link the incident to political rivalry between him and Governor Hassan Joho.

“I urge my supporters not to link this incident with politics and remain calm. We should promote peace for our county even at such provocation for the sake of prosperity,” he said.

Mr Awiti who has declared interest to challenge Mr Joho in next year’s governor seat polls, said he would reconstruct the sculpture at a cost of Sh500, 000.

Mombasa’s Mamba Village is home to a crocodile named Big Daddy, a man-eating monster believed to be over 120 years old.

Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and the farm’s official accounts indicate that Daddy killed five people in River Tana before it was transferred to Mamba crocodile farm in 1986.