Human rights activists have secured a temporary injunction halting the ongoing dismantling of a barge along the Mkomani Dimbwi Rose/Kenyatta Beach in Nyali, Mombasa County.
The National Environment Tribunal (NET), sitting in Nairobi under the chairmanship of Emmanuel Mumia, issued a stop order pending the hearing and determination of the case. The order follows an urgent application filed by the Centre for Litigation Trust through an inter-partes process.
The tribunal directed that the matter be mentioned on March 27 to confirm compliance and set a date for ruling. It also ordered the Centre for Litigation Trust to serve the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), Maast Maritime (K) Limited, Finest Steel and Metal Ltd, and Joseph Mwangi with the application.
The injunction comes amid growing concerns from local stakeholders over the environmental and economic impact of the dismantling exercise. The Nyali Beach Management Unit (BMU), which moved to court to stop the operation, argues that the activity has disrupted fishing activities and degraded the marine ecosystem.
BMU chairman Said Hamid accused local politicians of colluding with scrap metal dealers in the ongoing dismantling of the barge. He said the process, primarily driven by the extraction of scrap metal, has led to pollution, including an oil spill, and has adversely affected marine life along the Mkomani beachfront.
“Our members who depend on fishing to earn a living are suffering and counting losses due to the ongoing exercise,”
Hamid said.
He added that the situation has been worsened by what he described as inaction from both elected leaders and the county government, despite repeated appeals for intervention.
Members of the BMU staged protests along the beach, saying they had exhausted all available channels in seeking redress before resorting to demonstrations.
“We have gone from one office to another seeking intervention, but all efforts have been futile,”
Hamid said, expressing frustration over the lack of response from authorities.
The affected beach area, commonly known as Samaki Lane, lies adjacent to private residences owned by prominent individuals, including former President Uhuru Kenyatta, as well as other high-profile coastal residents.
The BMU estimates that more than 300 fishermen rely on the waters off Mkomani for their livelihoods, raising concerns about the long-term socio-economic impact of the ongoing environmental degradation.
