The land reclamation and restoration at Kibarani dumpsite in Mombasa County is almost complete.
In July last year, President Kenyatta ordered the National Land Commission (NLC) to revoke Kibarani dumpsite’s land allocation to private developers and have it turned into a recreational facility as requested by the County Government of Mombasa under Governor Ali Hassan Joho's watch.
Since then, the 13 acre piece of land was decommissioned and restoration exercise kick-started and spearheaded by the County Government of Mombasa and the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA).
Read: President Kenyatta's new order on Kibarani land
A delegation from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry led by PS Ali Noor Ismael and officials from NEMA and UNEP called on Governor Joho's office to discuss a load of environmental issues.
The delegation toured Kibarani where Principal Secretary Noor Ismail praised the Mombasa County Government and other stakeholders for the exemplary work in restoring the site.
The PS who was also accompanied by Governor Joho said that the dumpsite was not only polluting the ocean but was also a security risk.
The governor lauded the joint efforts by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, his office, other government agencies, the UN Environment and private companies who have been undertaking the restoration efforts.
"Three months ago I directed the Department of Environment, Energy and Solid Waste Management to close down the Kibarani Dumpsite. I am happy to report that 90 percent of the decommissioning of the site has been achieved."
Read: Joho orders for the immediate closure of Kibarani dumpsite
They were also accompanied by the UN Director and Regional Representative for Africa Juliet Biao, UN Environment Kenya Country Programme Coordinator Cyrille Razare Siewe, the NEMA Director General Prof Geoffrey Wahungu and Deputy Governor Dr William Kingi among other leaders.
"I call upon the residents of Mombasa to continue complementing County Government efforts by dumping responsibly and keeping our environment clean," said Joho.
Joho affirmed that his administration remains committed to the promise of a cleaner Mombasa and will continue to work with both governmental and non-governmental agencies to consolidate the necessary energies towards this initiative.
Also Read: How Joho is amazingly turning around famous Kibarani dumpsite - PHOTOS
"As we shift our attention to re-creating Kibarani into a beautiful recreational park, it is important to highlight the need for a concerted effort towards realising this dream," said the County Government of Mombasa through the Department of Environment, Waste Management and Energy on Monday.
The County Government of Mombasa through collaborative efforts with other non-governmental organisations have played a significant role in ensuring the previously eyesore site is shaping up into a beautiful recreational park.
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