Author: Coast Times Digital

BY COAST TIMES REPORTER Principal Secretary for Maritime Affairs Shadrack Mwadime has urged the coastal youth especially girls to take advantage of the blue economy courses to change their lives. Mwadime said the government is banking on the blue economy to break the chain of poverty, the menace of drug abuse, teen pregnancies and early marriages for the coastal people. The PS said a society that doesn’t recognize women will never succeed. “Girls don’t allow anyone to ruin your lives. It is time we say goodbye to early marriages and teen pregnancies because we will equally empower you and move…

By Alloys Musyoka Sexual exploitation and women going for a month without bathing have been mentioned as one of the main challenges facing women in the artisanal mining sector. Artisanal miners have called on the government and human rights organizations to intervene and save the worrying situation. Speaking during a panel discussion on Artisanal and small-scale miners’ perspectives on the mining governance in Kwale in the ongoing Jamvi la Madini Kwale forum, the miners said the situation is not good. “We came to realize that there are women who engage in sex with minerals buyers to have their products bought…

By Flora Awinja Women and minority groups in Ramisi, Kwale County have expressed their displeasure on how development projects are implemented by the County government. During an evaluation meeting of the first and second County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP), the groups said funds meant for development projects were not properly used. In the meeting, residents were sensitized on how to actively participate in the 2023-2027 CIDP public participation in a bid to ensure they put across projects they would want to be implemented in their ward. Mwalimu Ali from Muslim Advancement of Rights and Protection (MWARP) said the sensitization is…

By Flora Awinja section of human rights groups has raised concerns over the violation of business and human rights for small-scale miners in the extractives sector. This emerged during an advocacy training facilitated by Transparency International (TI) in Diani, Kwale County. Muslim Women Advancement Rights and Protection (MWARP) director Fakii Omar said that there is a need to address the violations committed against small-scale miners. “This training focused on how to tackle the challenges faced by small-scale miners like the artisanal and violations against them are reduced,” he said. Sheebah Oketch, a stakeholder from Kwale Mining Alliance, said the training…

By Caroline Katana Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) has partnered with the County Government of Kwale in boosting the national government’s efforts to mitigate climate change by planting trees in various places in the county Kenya has set an ambitious target to increase the country’s forest cover to 28 per cent by 2030 from the current 8.8 per cent. Speaking during a tree planting exercise in Shimoni, the supply chain manager at KPA Johnson Gachanja said trees play a vital role in maintaining the balance of the ecosystem. “Under the ongoing contract for the construction of Shimoni Fish Port, today the…

By Caroline Katana Kwale County government has put measures in place to settle land disputes to create a conducive environment for investors in the real estate sector. The move is triggered by private developers showing interest in investing in real estate by constructing quality housing units in Diani’s tourist destination. Speaking during a handover ceremony of 17 units of Zuhri Villas and Almond Ridge in Galu, Kwale county executive committee member in charge of tourism, trade, and enterprise development Michael Mutua’s land department is working hard to ensure historical land injustices become a thing of the past. The project which…

By Caroline Katana Kwale County Commissioner Michael Mwangi Meru has defended the finance bill 2023 saying it will bring affordable housing to citizens and promote their dignity. Addressing locals at Jomo Kenyatta Primary School grounds in Msambweni, Mwangi said that provision of good service is the responsibility of every leader. “In that housing program we want to ensure that youths especially the ones with technical know-how from the TVETS and universities can get job opportunities because once the houses are being constructed there are financial implications, there are labour implications, and technology inclusion,” he said. He said creativity and innovation are…

By Alloys Musyoka The first-of-its-kind Jamvi la Madini forum has kicked off at Diani reef beach resort hotel in Kwale bringing stakeholders from different sectors and counties in the country. Matters of land, artisanal mining, and issues of resettlement, human rights and conflict resolutions took centre stage during the first day of the forum. International Alert, Kwale Mining Alliance, Transparency International Kenya, Haki Madini, Natural Justice and OXFAM among other stakeholders participating. The forum is themed on promoting dialogue and action towards accountable and sustainable miming that respects human rights for better livelihood and economic empowerment of the Kwale communities.…

Reports that Kwale residents have not been utilizing National Government Affirmative Action Funds for the last ten years are shocking. It is claimed that the majority of women, youths and people living with special abilities groups in the area have not been using the funds allocated to them for economic growth as expected. This was revealed during a disbarment of Sh4.78 million in economic empowerment grants to 33 groups in Kwale County by Kwale member of National Assembly Fatuma Masito. Masito raised concerns over the failure of groups to utilize the funds saying things must change during her reign. “We…

BY FLORA AWINJA. Kwale County Commissioner Michael Mwangi Meru has urged residents to plant more trees to meet the required forest cover and sustainable development Meru said planting trees will strengthen conservation efforts and fight climate change. He said a good environment will prompt food security and a healthy lifestyle. “We must conserve nature because trees give us food and medicine,” he said. Meru said nature can be very unforgiving if people tamper with it. He said cases of prolonged drought and unpredictable weather patterns are due to the effects of climate change. Meru made the remarks during the launch…