Kilifi County is one of the impoverished counties in Kenya. With a
population of 1,10975 people which makes 2.9% of the total Kenyan population,
the county run by governor Amason Jefwa
has an average of 68% of the population living below the poverty line, with
other areas like Magarini, where governor Kingi comes from registering a
poverty rate of 89%. It has an Infant Mortality Rates of 71 per 1000, among the highest in
the country.
The county has only 8 doctors, 10
clinical officers, 128 nurses, 3 district hospitals and 2 sub-district
hospitals serving the 1.1million people. Many residents walk long distances to find
health services in the few scattered dispensaries and health centers.
There is poor enrollment in both
primary and secondary schools and the county is always among the bottom 5
counties in both KCPE and KCSE Nationa Examinations. The inadequate primary and post primary
education has greatly contributed to poverty in Kilifi.
The major economic activities are
tourism, mining crop farming and livestock production; with very huge potential
yet to be exploited.
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| Kilifi Governor Amason Jefwa Kingi, the King of Kilifi |
More than half of the land in Kilifi
is arable. Indeed, the average annual rainfall ranges from 300mm
in the hinterland parts of the County to 1,300mm along the coastal belt with fertile
soils and a good weather patterns in Malindi, Chakama, Magarini, Bahari,
Chonyi, Kikamabala, Mtwapa, Vipingo, Jaribuni, Mariakani and Rabai areas.
While maize and cassava are the
main subsistence crops grown in the County, there is potential of growing
vegetables such as kales, tomatoes, onions, peppers, water melons, cabbages,
cucumbers etc, apart from the main cash crops grown in the county like
coconuts, cashew nuts, sisal and citrus fruits such as mangoes and pineapples
Due to its proximity to the
Indian Ocean, Kilifi can have a vibrant fishing industry if well exploited and
managed. Deep-sea fishing can be a lucrative venture due to high demand for
fish from the hotel industry. The county has 14 landing beaches and currently
has only 5,000 fishermen.
This number can even be increased to 20,000
fishermen if investment is made to promote this economic activity. Sport fishing has also taken root, with
fishing clubs established at various spots associated with tourist hotels and
resorts.
River Sabaki, a perennial fresh
water river, runs 150km across the county, is yet to be fully exploited. It has
a potential to support various human and livestock activities not only along
its path but also in the whole County. Indeed, the Zhakeem/Sabaki water
pipeline that supplies Mombasa with fresh drinking water comes from this river.
And yet most parts of the county lack adequate water supply and women
Seasonal rivers in the county include the
Nzovuni, Rare, Goshi and Wimbi, these can be exploited to boost food production
and stop the ever reliance on food relief in Kilifi. There are also many
seasonal streams found across the county.
Kilifi County is an important tourist destination, with its major town
Malindi well know all over the world as an important holiday
destination. Very important persons visit Malindi, a town liked by
Italians, Germans and other nationalities. From Mtwapa to Malindi, the
Kilifi County boosts of classic hotels and beautiful beaches. The sector
is however driven by the private sector, with the county governments
virtually doing nothing to exploit this potential.
But Why the Poverty in the County?
Kilifi County has a problem of leadership.
The Governor, Members of Parliament and Members of County Assembly seem
visionless on how to improve the standard of living of Kilifi people.
The governor, one of the few learned
leaders in the county is extravagant. He
recently purchased a governor mansion worth Ksh 140m, without following the due
procurement procedures at a time when residents of parts of Ganze were on food
relief to rescue them from the perennial famine.
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| Malnourished family in Kilifi outside their mud walled hut |
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Kingi, the former Alliance High School
student and a law graduate from the University of Nairobi, is currently under
investigation by the EACC from the mansion scandal and he has been interrogated
by the commission, together with his Country Secretary Owen Baya.
More than a year down the line,
the County Assembly has passed just one bill that established the Kilifi County
Education Scholarship Fund. However, there is a lot of outcry on how the fund
is managed by the MCAs, most of them dishing out allocations to their families,
cronies, political campaigners, those with political influence and the rich.
Critically looking at the
composition of the Kilifi County Assembly, most of the members are illiterate,
and still operate like the former Counsellors. The MCAs do nothing, other than
issuing bursaries to their selected beneficiaries. They think nothing about
other activities in their wards.
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| Governor Kingi's 140m Luxurious Mansion |
The governor is said to have pocketed
the MCAs and thus cannot initiate any motion to impeach him. It seems that among
the benefits they enjoy are the frequent foreign trips outside the country, drawing
huge allowances from the tax payers’ money, often for matters that do not help
the county.
They recently visited Singapore, Germany,
Rwanda and Netherlands and came with nothing tangible for the people of Kilifi.
Kingi silences his critics by bribing them to keep quiet. There are rumors that the MCAs are plannng for a trip to Brazil to watch the World Cup.
Governor Amasom Jefwa Kingi is capitalizing on the ignorance
of the Kilifi people. The county government has sidelined the professionals of
the area who are often viewed as enemies to the governor and his political
cronies. Amidst the potential of Kilifi County is an extravagant and corrupt governor
and his bunch of illiterate MCAs enriching themselves at the expense of the impoverished
Kilifians.