Graves at Industrial Park site cause delays, county officials told

Graves discovered at the County Aggregated Industrial Park (CAIP) site in Mombasa are causing delays in the project’s construction, officials were told during a site visit by the Assembly Committee on Tourism, Trade, and Culture.

The committee’s visit came days after they questioned the County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Tourism about the stalled project, which faces a November deadline.

Project Manager Engineer Peter Migosi revealed that the graves need to be relocated before construction can proceed. "The graves have hindered progress since they must be relocated," he explained.

The industrial park, set on a 10-acre site, is planned to host eight warehouses for value addition and storage of agricultural products.

MCA Kibwana Swaleh asked Engineer Migosi whether plans had been made to work around the graves. Migosi confirmed that this had been considered

Committee Chairperson MCA Abdirahman Hussein stressed the importance of conducting an environmental impact assessment. “We will formally request the necessary documents to ensure compliance with environmental standards,” he said.

Engineer Migosi assured the committee that there were no issues with the disbursement of funds and that all efforts were being made to complete the project on time.

The committee also engaged with local squatters living on the land, listening to their concerns about the impact of the project on their community.

Bamburi MCA Patrick Mbelle advised the residents to prepare their youth for employment opportunities that would arise from the park’s completion. “This project will provide jobs, it's vital that the youth are ready to benefit,” he noted.

The site visit aimed to assess the situation on the ground and address the delays threatening the park’s completion ahead of its November deadline.

Earlier on, the assembly committee questioned the progress of the CAIP, which was presented as a joint venture between the Mombasa County Government and the National Government.

According to CECM Tourism Mohamed Osman, both governments have each allocated Sh250 million towards the project’s development. However, concerns have arisen over the feasibility of meeting the November deadline, as the committee’s report indicates that the project would require a minimum of seven months to complete, and only two months remain before the set deadline.