"WE WANT IT BACK"

Rabai residents want Mazeras Botanical Garden back to Kilifi County after its continuous management by Mombasa County.

Under the Rabai Rights and Justice Forum, the residents have called for a consultative meeting between the two county governments so as to have the local community enjoy the services of the garden which has been used as a recreation center since early 70s.

Rabai elders during the meeting at Mauani garden.

'Mauani', as usually called by the local residents is said ti have been managed by Mombasa County Council before the birth of devolution in Kenya, but somewhat landed in the hands of Mombasa County Government, despite it being with the neighboring Kilifi.

Led by Kaya elders, they insisted that locals have the right to own the land, stating that devolution came to give them power to govern their own resources.

According to Mzee John Baya Mitsanze, the coastal region has experienced land injustices for over 40years before clonialism and after independence.

The elders claimed that the land was given to Mombasa County only to manage after the then British who had been given a green light by the local community to plant flowers and trees at the garden decided to leave the country.

Private developers are deemed to have grabbed the garden
so as to level the ground.

However, sources revealed that the garden ended up with Mombasa County due to its proximity to Mombasa City compared to the then Kilifi Municipal Town.

All the same, anonymous sources claimed that the land has been grabbed by unknown private developers leaving the locals with no rights to enjoy the cool breeze in the garden which is now becoming dilapidated.

According to the source, there are plans to level the ground, thus filling the water trenches, a move the locals have insisted should be stopped.

By Mrira Stephen.