BARAYAN: Seeking Sage Leaders for Mombasa’s Renaissance
The most uniquely dramatic building in Mombasa remains Fort Jesus built 430 years ago, permanently and resolutely facing the entrance to the old port and the town it was built to protect and enable to grow sensibly.
Close to the entrance of Fort Jesus stands an ancient Swahili-style coffee seller with a brass coffeepot over a charcoal fire, beside an unmarked casual sitting space designated informally for a circle of elderly gentlemen who gather there daily to chat.
Nobody becomes part of them without being invited by a member of the group.
The process of becoming a member and how these suppliers have achieved success over the years remains an enigma known only to a select few.
These individuals are the wise men, possessing shared life experiences and expertise, serving as the guardians of Mombasa’s spirit and cultural heritage.
The swift development and expansion of Mombasa can be attributed to gentrification—a process involving the revitalization and alteration of urban areas as richer people or enterprises push out lower-income inhabitants, driven by increasing land values due to higher demand.
This process of gentrification has led to alterations in the local culture and demographic composition; consequently, it has created disarray in Mombasa’s urban planning, raising doubts about whether it truly enhances residents’ desires for improved living conditions and economic opportunities.
In a recent caucus group meeting where I was present, we examined three strategies for managing gentrification initiated by Mombasa County. The discussion centered around two key aspects: the preservation of Swahili cultural elements and ensuring public access to the coastline.
The aim was to devise strategies for safeguarding residents from disenfranchisement while maintaining the city’s growth pace and its cultural significance.
The initial factor to consider is zoning. This process involves setting prescribed density restrictions, implementing heritage preservation strategies, and promoting adaptable use.
This might involve setting limits on the height and density for properties along the waterline from Mkomani to Shanzu, allowing these areas to gradually maintain their primary benefits such as ocean vistas and proximity to shorelines.
In Old Town, recognized as the cultural heart, a financially stable framework should be provided to ensure that the property’s cultural significance isn’t diminished by its owners.
It might involve accessing funds from a conservation building initiative or utilizing cultural heritage financing to support the adaptive reuse of these structures.
The second point revolves around shifting from centralized utilities to communal shared services for the benefit of the community.
This change would involve setting up an independent power source, systems for collecting and treating rainfall as well as facilities for recycling water, alongside implementing a minimal environmental impact waste handling system.
These advancements would necessitate the support of the local community, regardless of whether they occur in the Old Town or along the seafront, since no individual property owner or developer has the capability to independently, sustainably, or effectively provide these services.
Space for these utilities would need to be located and obtained if the county does not already own it.
The final point covered involved vehicle traffic and parking, along with pedestrian pathways and public areas, encompassing cultural centers.
Communal travel is an everyday fact, be it for employment or recreation; hence, ensuring safety, security, brevity, and smooth mobility is crucial for both conveyances and individuals on foot.
Strategic provision of commuter terminals, road carriageways, pedestrian walkways, vehicle parking lots and public squares can be made more efficient with technological advancement in access controls, stack parking structures and real-time monitoring and response systems.
The challenging responsibility of overseeing gentrification lies firmly within the county’s jurisdiction and technical capability to implement.
Similar to most counties, Mombasa possesses potent resources to achieve this objective. A key resource is the control over lands and properties designated for development aimed at benefiting the general populace.
The other aspect is the legal power to establish regulations that must be followed, provided these rules do not contradict current statutes or the Constitution.
These two tools are adequate for effectively managing Mombasa’s gentrification; however, there is no known concept, proposal, or implementation framework in existence.
The question now arises: Can the joint efforts of the Mombasa branches of the Law Society of Kenya and the Architecture Association of Kenya assume a role akin to that of the sagacious elders at Fort Jesus and rescue Mombasa?
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