Author: Coast Times Digital

By Nuru Salim An 11-year-old girl has died after a fire razed down a rental house in Mbuyuni village, Timbwani Ward in Likoni. The tragic incident occurred at around 2am on Saturday, leaving residents devastated and a family grappling with the loss of a child and all their belongings. According to Fatuma Ziki, one of the residents of the six-roomed house, the fire broke out while two children were asleep and quickly engulfed the building. Their mother was reportedly away visiting a sick relative at the time of the incident. Efforts to save the children were hampered by heavy smoke…

BY OMAR SHABAN Kwale Governor Fatuma Achani has announced plans to upgrade several vocational training centres (VTCs) into centres of excellence as part of her administration’s effort to empower youth through technical and vocational education. Speaking during the commissioning of a new administration block at Msulwa Vocational Training Centre in Matuga, Achani said the county is working on strategies to transform the facility and others including Manda, Ukunda, Kinango, and Mavirivirini into high-capacity institutions offering specialized training in key trades. “We want to equip our youth with relevant and competitive skills that match the demands of the evolving job market,”…

BY SHABAN OMAR Chief Lady Justice and President of the Supreme Court, Martha Koome, has issued a stern warning to magistrates and court users over involvement in corrupt practices. Koome said that the judiciary is committed to uprooting all forms of misconduct that fuel corruption, in a bid to uphold integrity and reinforce the justice system. “The Judiciary is a corruption-free zone. We are firmly implementing zero-tolerance policies to stamp out this vice from our courts,” she said. The Chief Justice disclosed that there have been reported cases of fraudsters soliciting money from plaintiffs and defendants, falsely claiming to be…

By Alloys Musyoka Two Kenya Air Force officers died on the spot after aircraft accident in Kwale. The accident is said to have taken place at Viramboni village within Ndavaya ward in Kinango. Kwale county commissioner Stephen Orinde told media that security officials were heading to te site qs investigation begins. While confirming the incident Orinde said that the cause is still unknown.

By Faith Muteti The Human Rights Agenda organization has launched two pivotal land reports aimed at streamlining the issue of land and fish landing sites in Kwale county. The reports, developed in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), focus on two critical issues: governance and tenure security of fishing landing sites and women’s access to land in Kwale County. The governance and tenure security of fish landing sites report revealed that out of 91 identified landing sites in Kwale, a staggering 75% remain ungazetted leaving them vulnerable to land grabbing, a growing threat along the coastal region. HURIA…

By Alloys Musyoka Hydrocele patients and expectant mothers in need of surgical services in Mkongani, Matuga Sub County, have breathed a sigh of relief following the elevation of Mkongani Health Center to a Level 4 hospital. The upgrade, which was carried out in February of this year by Kwale Governor Fatuma Achani alongside President William Ruto, marked a significant milestone in enhancing access to essential surgical services in the region. In previous years, patients requiring surgery had to travel long distances to access treatment in distant health facilities, such as in Kwale, Kinango, Msambweni, or even Coast General Hospital in…

By Nuru Salim Kenya’s record Ksh4.2 trillion budget for the 2025/2026 financial year has stirred debate among coast leaders, with a call to channel more government attention and resources toward indigenous crops that drive rural livelihoods in Kwale County. Speaking during a public participation session on the Finance Bill at the Kwale Cultural Centre, Matuga MP Kassim Sawa Tandaza urged the National Treasury to zero-rate agricultural inputs and outputs for crops such as cashew nuts, coconut, and Bixa. He said that supporting these other indigenous crops from the coastal region would directly improve household incomes and unlock agro-industrial potential in…

By Nuru Salim Over 3,000 mangrove trees were planted in Chale and tonnes of plastic waste collected along Diani in Kwale County on Wednesday, as NCBA Bank led a high-impact environmental campaign to mark World Environment Day 2025. The event, held on June 5 at Chale, brought together government agencies, private sector partners, and local communities in a large-scale effort to restore fragile marine ecosystems and curb plastic pollution under this year’s global theme, “Ending Plastic Pollution.” Spearheaded by NCBA Bank in partnership with the Boreka Group, Kenya Forest Service KFS, the National Environment Management Authority NEMA, the Kwale County Government…

By Nuru Salim The national government has begun collecting feedback from citizens across the country on how well government programs and projects are being implemented, with a team from the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary currently conducting a public engagement exercise in Kwale County. Led by the Secretary for Government Programs and Projects Delivery, Musa Machoka, the delegation emphasized the importance of hearing directly from the people in order to better align national projects with the needs and realities on the ground. Machoka said the government was keen to strengthen public participation, noting that it was no longer enough…

Civil society groups in Lamu have expressed concerns over the continued push by Amu Power Plant to establish a coal plant within Kwasasi area despite a 2019 National Environmental Tribunal  revoking the project over environmental concerns. Amu Power on its part had this year begun the appeal process, to which environmentalists within Lamu have staged demonstrations and sit ins demanding the High Court’s intervention in quashing the project from proceeding. So far a court ruling is expected later in September 3rd 2025 following repeated delays in delivering judgement over the issue Speaking during a demonstration held in Lamu today Amu Beach…