Author: Coast Times Digital

By Shaban Omar   At least 179,000 people in Kwale County have been severely affected by drought and are in urgent need of relief food, according to the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA).   The latest assessment shows that 90 percent of the county has been hit hard, with all six sub-counties, Lunga-Lunga, Msambweni, Samburu, Matuga, Kinango and Shimba Hills experiencing acute water and food shortages.   Speaking on Thursday, January 12, 2026 in Kwale Town, NDMA Chief Executive Officer Hared Hassan said Kwale is now officially under drought alert phase, placing it among the most affected counties in the…

By Shaban Omar The National Management Environment Authority (NEMA) has commended Australian mining firm Base Titanium for a successful and comprehensive land rehabilitation exercise in Kwale County. Barely two years after the company ceased operations, significant progress in restoring mined-out areas is already evident. Unlike many mining firms that delay rehabilitation until the end of extraction, Base Titanium adopted a progressive model, restoring land concurrently with ongoing mining activities. The company, which began operations in 2013, wound up mining in December 2024 after fully extracting key minerals including zircon, rutile, and ilmenite. During the Kwale Mine Closure Expert Monitoring Studies…

A 22 years old man from Nandi County, who travelled to Diani in search of employment, was allegedly sexually assaulted by a 74 years old woman after being promised a Sh200,000 ‘salary’. According to the victim, the woman offered to host him. However she allegedly entered his room at night and demanded sex, threatening to send him to jail if he refused the act. This left him shocked and desperate with nothing to do in the middle of Mwabungo village, in a house belonging to the son within her compound. The woman whose husband is reportedly based in the UK…

By Alloys Musyoka Kwale County Governor Fatuma Achani, accompanied by Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya, on Saturday attended a mass wedding ceremony held at Baraza Park in Matuga Sub-County. The weddings were sponsored through the Tandaza Foundation, where more than 300 couples from Kwale and Kilifi counties were officially married. The ceremony was presided over by the Kenya Chief Kadhi, Sheikh Sukyan Hassan. Speaking during the event, Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya congratulated the couples and urged residents to continue supporting government leaders and community-based initiatives that uplift society. “I commend Hon. Tandaza for this noble investment in societal wellness,…

Young people now have many employment and job opportunities for employment courtesy of the various programmes and policies the government is implementing, President William Ruto has said. The President urged young people to take advantage of the opportunities in the Affordable Housing Programme, construction of modern markets, institutional housing, and student hostels. Already, 500,000 young people are working in this sector at 240 construction sites across the country, he said. He also cited the Labour Mobility Programme that is providing opportunities for young people to work abroad, saying the process has been streamlined. “In the past three years, 530,000 young…

A total of 5,880 young entrepreneurs from Mombasa, Kwale and Taita-Taveta counties will today receive KSh147 million in NYOTA Business Start-Up Capital at a ceremony attended by President William Ruto at Jomo Kenyatta Showground in Mombasa. The beneficiaries have been drawn from 70 wards in the three counties: 30 wards in Mombasa, 20 in Kwale, and another 20 in Taita-Taveta. Under the NYOTA Business Start-Up Capital component, each beneficiary will receive KSh25,000 in the first phase. Of this amount, KSh22,000 will be credited directly to each beneficiary’s mobile phone accounts while KSh3,000 will be deposited into a Haba na Haba…

By Reporter Atleast fifty fishermen drawn from Kiwayu and Mkokoni in Lamu East Constituency have received new outboard engines in a Danish-funded initiative aimed at promoting sustainable fishing while improving their livelihoods. The 15-horsepower engines, funded by the Royal Danish Embassy through the Resilient Communities and Natural Resources Grant, will power 10 fishing boats, enabling fishermen in Kiwayu and Mkokoni areas to access offshore grounds beyond the reef that have been difficult to reach using traditional methods. Speaking during the handover ceremony today, Lamu Governor Issa Abdalla Timamy, said the engines would help protect marine ecosystems while boosting fishermens’ incomes.…

By Alex Kalama A simmering land conflict in Magarini constituency is threatening the future of thousands of families who depend on the salt industry for survival. Residents of Kanagoni and Kurawa have urged leaders and the community to embrace dialogue with Salt factories, warning that continued hostility could collapse businesses, destroy jobs, and derail education opportunities. Local businesses say they are already feeling the pinch. Kadzo Karisa Wanje, a resident of Kanagoni, explained that her café thrives on truck drivers transporting salt from Kanagoni to Mombasa. “Drivers eat in my place. I also benefit. If KEMSALT is shut down, many…

CS Lee Kinyanjui hails progress of Taifa Gas project in Dongo Kundu SEZ and Base Titanium in KwaleCabinet Secretary for Investments, Trade and Industry Lee Kinyanjui has commended significant progress at the Taifa Gas project within the Dongo Kundu Special Economic Zone (SEZ), noting that the facility is approximately 80 percent complete and expected to be operational in the next two months.CS Kinyanjui said the development will add 30,000 metric tonnes of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) storage and distribution capacity.It was during his tour at the port of Mombasa, Taifa gas plant at Dongo kundu by pass and Base Titanium…

By Alex Kalama A simmering land dispute between residents and salt factories has thrown Magarini into crisis, leaving students stranded and thousands of livelihoods hanging in the balance. For decades, salt has been more than a commodity here it is the lifeblood of the local economy. Factories like KEMSALT have anchored livelihoods, supported education, and sustained small businesses. But now, uncertainty looms as the conflict threatens to dismantle this foundation. KEMSALT directly employs hundreds of workers in salt farms, transport, and logistics. Indirectly, it sustains countless others from food kiosk owners and fish vendors to landlords whose tenants are factory…