Swazuri beats hasty retreat in Fort Jesus row

National Land Commission Chairman Muhamad Swazuri at Fort Jesus on January 16, 2018. PHOTO | WINNIE ATIENO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • If a protective wall is not built around the monument, very soon Fort Jesus will collapse into the ocean.
  • He stressed that NMK was not reclaiming land from the ocean, as had been claimed.

The National Land Commission has made an about-turn regarding construction of a seawall in the Indian Ocean to protect the iconic Fort Jesus.

NLC chairman Muhamad Swazuri who, together with Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho, had earlier opposed construction of the seawall, on Tuesday gave the National Museums of Kenya (NMK) the go-ahead to continue with the project after a series of meetings with its officials and those of Mombasa county government. He termed the construction a noble idea.  

MONUMENTS

But NMK, which manages museums, historical sites and monuments, is to only restore a wall built by the Portuguese to protect Fort Jesus about 500 years ago, he said on Tuesday.

“Last week, we had condemned the construction because we were not involved or informed. But, after the meetings, we now legalise the construction and we support it.

NLC is the manager and administrator of all public land, meaning we must be involved or informed of any activity undertaken on public land,” Dr Swazuri said, in the company of NMK director-general Mzalendo Kibunjia.

NMK had raised the red flag over threats to Fort Jesus, a Unesco world heritage site, by sea waves, which also pose danger to the State House building in Mombasa.

If a protective wall is not built around the monument, very soon Fort Jesus will collapse into the ocean, Dr Kibunjia told journalists at the site.

ERODED

“If something is not done, this heritage will, in a few years, come to an end. If, in 500 years, the sea has eroded almost two acres of land in front of Fort Jesus, I don’t know how much will be eroded in the next 500 years,” he said.  

Dr Kibunjia added: “Soon we will hear other cries. All the land around Mombasa Island, including State House, is facing a threat. It is not a peculiar problem to Fort Jesus.”

He stressed that NMK was not reclaiming land from the ocean, as had been claimed.

The seawall will take six months to be done.

The agency, which carries out heritage research, will need Sh1 billion to protect threatened historical sites along the coastline due to the rising sea level as a result of climate change.

Dr Kibunjia said heritage sites and landmarks such as the Vasco da Gama Pillar in Malindi, Jumba la Mtwana site, Shanga in Lamu, Fort Jesus and the Old British Customs House in Vanga face an uncertain future.