Some of us remember a Mombasa that was clean and green, a much-loved Nyali bridge that never jammed, and a gracious pace of life and generosity that set us apart and made the Coast a haven.
For others of us, highrise buildings sprouting from impassable roads, commutes lasting hours to travel a distance of only a few kilometres, daily power cuts, recurring floods, rising crime, rising prices and a rising stench from uncollected rubbish have been our experience of living on the North Coast.
Is it possible to get back to the past–or at least to some prized elements of our collective memory? Or is a disorderly life of ever-increasing stressors the only way forward for Mombasa?
There are some essential conversations we need to have–with ourselves, with each other, and with our national and county governments. If we fail to have these conversations, we as residents of this place we call home cede our power and acquiesce to an “accidental” future.
