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Mombasa county to finalise construction of wall around Kongowea cemetery

Mombasa Deputy Governor Francis Thoya during a visit at the Kongowea cemetery in Mombasa County. (Photo: Farhiya Hussein)

By Farhiya Hussein | 16 Apr 2024

The county warned traders to respect graves and remain within the market, avoiding conducting business in the cemetery areas as such activities contribute to environmental pollution and indiscipline.

Families that have their loved ones buried at a graveyard in Kongowea will breathe a sigh of relief after the Mombasa County Government officially launched the second phase of construction for a protective wall around the cemetery.

The initiative aims to tackle long-standing issues of neglect and encroachment, providing solace to grieving families disturbed by the deteriorating state of the final resting place for their departed relatives.

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For a long time at the Makaburini cemetery near Kongowea market in Mombasa, neglect has become an unwelcome visitor.

Divided by a cabro road, the left side boasts well-maintained graves, while the right side tells a different tale, a desolate dumpsite where over 100 resting places have vanished beneath heaps of refuse.

The site at the Kongowea cemetery in Mombasa County. (Photo: Farhiya Hussein)

Families mourn not only their loved ones but also the loss of sacred space, now overrun by scavengers over time.

The concrete slabs have crumbled leaving the place prone to vandalism.

On Monday, the County Executive Committee Member for Environment Francis Thoya paid a visit to the cemetery and expressed concern over the appalling conditions at the site.

Traders engaging in business activities and dumping garbage within the graveyard premises have tarnished the sanctity of the burial grounds, prompting urgent action from the county government.

The site at the Kongowea cemetery in Mombasa County. (Photo: Farhiya Hussein)

"We have come today to officially kick start phase two of the Kongowea cemetery wall construction," announced Thoya, emphasising the importance of restoring dignity to the resting place of the departed.

The sentiments of the CECM who is also the Mombasa Deputy Governor were echoed by Pauline Oginga, Chief Officer for Environment, who urged traders to relocate their businesses to designated market areas and respect the solemnity of the cemetery.

Local resident Martin Kivuva expressed shock and dismay at the sight of businesses operating near graves, deeming it a blatant disrespect to the deceased.

"A person doing business around the graveyard area is shocking and a disrespect to the dead," he remarked, reflecting the sentiments of many within the community.

The county warned traders to respect graves and remain within the market, avoiding conducting business in the cemetery areas as such activities contribute to environmental pollution and indiscipline.