Old Town houses fall
Kenya’s tourism potential is being undermined by neglect of old, Arabic design houses in Mombasa. Patrick Beja tells a story of a collapsing heritage site due to disagreements among house owners, the National Museums of Kenya, and Mombasa Town Council
Buildings bearing the beauty and unique architectural design are gazetted as national heritage and conserved by the National Museums of Kenya (NMK).
They are adjacent to the landmark Fort Jesus museum and both attract hundreds of tourists.
However, the collapse of two old houses within the 31 hectares of conservation site two weeks ago has raised eyebrows and sparked debate among property owners and leaders.
The two houses crumbled like cards during heavy rains, threatening lives.
The incident has put NMK and Mombasa Municipal Council on the spot over red tape in approving applications by owners to rehabilitate the 667 ancient buildings that host hundreds of residents.
However, NMK’s Mombasa Old Town Conservation Office (Motco) was quick to defend the approval procedures for rehabilitation of buildings in theconservation area by itself and the council.
Motco’s acting principal architect, Mr Kassim Omar, instead blamed multiple ownership of the buildings by descendants of the original owners for the delay in repairing their dilapidated homes.
Most of the buildings are owned jointly by families who are scattered, and this makes it difficult for them to reach a consensus to restore falling houses.
Delayed action by house owners
In an interview, Omar said there is a building in the conservation site under lock and key since 1969 after the owners reportedly deserted it and relocated to the United Kingdom.
"While there are reports of absentee landlords at the Coast, we are faced with absentee house owners in Mombasa Old Town. Even for families living
in Mombasa, it takes years for them to reach a decision to rehabilitate a dilapidated building," Omar argued.
He suggested that the house owners give agents powers of attorney to act on their behalf and rehabilitate the houses before they collapse.
The process of approving developments in the conservation area by NMK and the council can be done in less than a month.
"The real problem is delayed action by the house owners," he said.
To kick off the process, the owners have to pay Sh500 to Mombasa Municipal Council for building application forms in addition to development charges depending on the size of their houses.
More ruins of buildings, which collapsed after the heavy rains.
The owners then have to seek approval for the house design from the MOTCO, and back to the council for assessment and final approval.
"The biggest challenge for us is to educate the house owners in Mombasa Old Town to ensure they appoint people to manage their property. This will enhance communication with us when we want them to rehabilitate their buildings. At the moment, it is difficult to get a response from them," Omar said.
Towns on world heritage list
Mombasa District Commissioner Mr Mohamed Maalim recently convened an urgent District Development Committee (DDC) meeting and blamed the collapse of two houses in Mombasa Old Town on NMK and the town council bureaucracy in approving the demolition and rehabilitation of old buildings.
The DC said 27 houses in the conservation area require urgent rehabilitation, while 35 others are unfit for human habitation.
"Though it is important to conserve our national heritage, human life is most sacred. Eight houses are dilapidated and 27 require urgent restoration," Maalim told the meeting attended by Town Clerk Mr Roba Duba.
The conservation challenges emerge at a time when NMK has already prepared a prepared to be forwarded this year to Unesco with the aim of including Mombasa Old Town and Fort Jesus in the world heritage site.
Omar this would earn the conservation site global recognition, and attract foreign tourists to the Coast. Values of Old Town properties would increase as a result.
In 2001, he says, Lamu Stone Town in Kenya and Zanzibar Stone Town in Tanzania were placed on the world heritage list and are now teeming withtourists.
The DDC asked the NMK and the council to avoid red tape when owners seek approvals to rehabilitate falling houses. The council was further asked to prevail on owners to pull down and rehabilitate all houses in bad shape.
One of the house owners, Mr Ali Jaffer accused NMK of taking too long to act on their concerns. Jaffer said that he had applied to the NMK to allow them to repair their building but they hesitated.
"It is a big hussle to get approval to rehabilitate houses in the conservation area," Jaffer protested.
Another resident, Mr Mohamed Daud, urged NMK to take responsibility and ensure old buildings are maintained as per the standards set in all World Heritage Sites.
Apart from Mombasa, NMK has gazetted ancient buildings for conservation at Lamu Stone town in Lamu district where owners must get approval before rehabilitating them.
But Omar distanced NMK and Motco over the Mombasa Old Town incident, saying the owners were notified of the appalling state and gaping cracks of the buildings way back in 2000 but failed to act. NMK approved the repairs in April 2002.
NMK says owners of the old buildings should take urgent steps to rectify situations before they get out of hand. "Let them understand that Motco is in charge of the development control in Mombasa Old Town, and is ready to assist the residents to better manage their heritage," says Omar.
He says that when the European Union gave NMK a Sh30 million grant, a number of buildings in Mombasa Old Town and Lamu stone town were rehabilitated.
"In this regard, it is not in its (Motco) duty to stifle the development aspirations of the residents," Omar said.
NMK, the Provincial Administration, town council and the Mombasa Local Planning Commission on Mombasa Old Town will organise a forum for all owners of old buildings to seek remedial measures.
The Planning Commission oversee the conservation and rehabilitation of the built heritage in the town.
Buildings bearing the beauty and unique architectural design are gazetted as national heritage and conserved by the National Museums of Kenya (NMK).
They are adjacent to the landmark Fort Jesus museum and both attract hundreds of tourists.
However, the collapse of two old houses within the 31 hectares of conservation site two weeks ago has raised eyebrows and sparked debate among property owners and leaders.
The two houses crumbled like cards during heavy rains, threatening lives.
The incident has put NMK and Mombasa Municipal Council on the spot over red tape in approving applications by owners to rehabilitate the 667 ancient buildings that host hundreds of residents.
However, NMK’s Mombasa Old Town Conservation Office (Motco) was quick to defend the approval procedures for rehabilitation of buildings in theconservation area by itself and the council.
Motco’s acting principal architect, Mr Kassim Omar, instead blamed multiple ownership of the buildings by descendants of the original owners for the delay in repairing their dilapidated homes.
Most of the buildings are owned jointly by families who are scattered, and this makes it difficult for them to reach a consensus to restore falling houses.
Delayed action by house owners
In an interview, Omar said there is a building in the conservation site under lock and key since 1969 after the owners reportedly deserted it and relocated to the United Kingdom.
"While there are reports of absentee landlords at the Coast, we are faced with absentee house owners in Mombasa Old Town. Even for families living
in Mombasa, it takes years for them to reach a decision to rehabilitate a dilapidated building," Omar argued.
He suggested that the house owners give agents powers of attorney to act on their behalf and rehabilitate the houses before they collapse.
The process of approving developments in the conservation area by NMK and the council can be done in less than a month.
"The real problem is delayed action by the house owners," he said.
To kick off the process, the owners have to pay Sh500 to Mombasa Municipal Council for building application forms in addition to development charges depending on the size of their houses.
More ruins of buildings, which collapsed after the heavy rains.
The owners then have to seek approval for the house design from the MOTCO, and back to the council for assessment and final approval.
"The biggest challenge for us is to educate the house owners in Mombasa Old Town to ensure they appoint people to manage their property. This will enhance communication with us when we want them to rehabilitate their buildings. At the moment, it is difficult to get a response from them," Omar said.
Towns on world heritage list
Mombasa District Commissioner Mr Mohamed Maalim recently convened an urgent District Development Committee (DDC) meeting and blamed the collapse of two houses in Mombasa Old Town on NMK and the town council bureaucracy in approving the demolition and rehabilitation of old buildings.
The DC said 27 houses in the conservation area require urgent rehabilitation, while 35 others are unfit for human habitation.
"Though it is important to conserve our national heritage, human life is most sacred. Eight houses are dilapidated and 27 require urgent restoration," Maalim told the meeting attended by Town Clerk Mr Roba Duba.
The conservation challenges emerge at a time when NMK has already prepared a prepared to be forwarded this year to Unesco with the aim of including Mombasa Old Town and Fort Jesus in the world heritage site.
Omar this would earn the conservation site global recognition, and attract foreign tourists to the Coast. Values of Old Town properties would increase as a result.
In 2001, he says, Lamu Stone Town in Kenya and Zanzibar Stone Town in Tanzania were placed on the world heritage list and are now teeming withtourists.
The DDC asked the NMK and the council to avoid red tape when owners seek approvals to rehabilitate falling houses. The council was further asked to prevail on owners to pull down and rehabilitate all houses in bad shape.
One of the house owners, Mr Ali Jaffer accused NMK of taking too long to act on their concerns. Jaffer said that he had applied to the NMK to allow them to repair their building but they hesitated.
"It is a big hussle to get approval to rehabilitate houses in the conservation area," Jaffer protested.
Another resident, Mr Mohamed Daud, urged NMK to take responsibility and ensure old buildings are maintained as per the standards set in all World Heritage Sites.
Apart from Mombasa, NMK has gazetted ancient buildings for conservation at Lamu Stone town in Lamu district where owners must get approval before rehabilitating them.
But Omar distanced NMK and Motco over the Mombasa Old Town incident, saying the owners were notified of the appalling state and gaping cracks of the buildings way back in 2000 but failed to act. NMK approved the repairs in April 2002.
NMK says owners of the old buildings should take urgent steps to rectify situations before they get out of hand. "Let them understand that Motco is in charge of the development control in Mombasa Old Town, and is ready to assist the residents to better manage their heritage," says Omar.
He says that when the European Union gave NMK a Sh30 million grant, a number of buildings in Mombasa Old Town and Lamu stone town were rehabilitated.
"In this regard, it is not in its (Motco) duty to stifle the development aspirations of the residents," Omar said.
NMK, the Provincial Administration, town council and the Mombasa Local Planning Commission on Mombasa Old Town will organise a forum for all owners of old buildings to seek remedial measures.
The Planning Commission oversee the conservation and rehabilitation of the built heritage in the town.
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