Members of the Kiwayu Island community have presented a petition to the National Assembly Public Petitions Committee seeking recognition and protection of their traditional and cultural rights as custodians of the marine ecosystem within the Kiunga Marine National Reserve.
The Petition was presented to the Committee, chaired by Hon. Muchangi Karemba, by Lamu East Member of Parliament Hon. (Capt) Ruweida Obo on behalf of residents of Kiwayu Island.
In the Petition, the community states that Kiwayu Island, which lies within the marine reserve, is their ancestral land and has for generations been home to the indigenous residents of Lamu East whose livelihoods depend on fishing, mangrove conservation and sustainable marine resource management.
Hon. Obo told the Committee that the community has historically practiced responsible environmental stewardship, helping preserve the fragile marine ecosystems and biodiversity within the reserve, which is managed by the Kenya Wildlife Service.
However, the residents have raised concerns over what they describe as “increasing encroachment by private developers within the protected marine reserve.” According to the Petition, some developers have undertaken unauthorized developments and commercial activities that allegedly contravene conservation laws and threaten the ecological integrity of the area.
“Kiwayu Island has existed for close to 400 years and was gazetted as a marine reserve in 1979 without the knowledge of the local residents. As a result, the community has been unable to undertake development in the area because they cannot obtain title deeds,” Hon. Obo told the Committee.
“How is it possible then, that there are instances of fraudulent title deeds and irregular land allocations purporting to grant private ownership within the reserve, despite the area being protected under the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act and the Environmental Management and Coordination Act?” the legislator posed.
Mr. Adan Lali Kombo, a resident of Kiwayu, told the Committee that the community, which prides itself as the primary conservator of the reserve, is also pushing for equitable resource sharing. He noted that despite protecting the area for generations, the residents do not benefit from the tourism revenue generated from the island.
The community is calling for the revocation of irregular title deeds or leases issued within the marine reserve and the removal of illegal developments from the protected area.
They further propose the establishment of a community based co-management framework involving the Kenya Wildlife Service, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry and the local community to promote sustainable use, conservation and equitable sharing of marine resource benefits.
Hon. Karemba stated that the Committee will invite the Ministry of Lands, the Lamu County Government, the Kenya Wildlife Service and the State Department for Culture, the Arts and Heritage to respond to the issues raised before the Committee compiles and tables its report before the National Assembly.
By Anthony Solly
