The sale of the 21.5 hectare national marine park occupying some of the most prime land at the South Coast in the international market could lead to the loss of a public resource worth Sh1.4 billion. The Kisite Island offers some of the most beautiful and pristine beach property in the country. Thousands of tourists visit the park annually to indulge in watersports such as diving, snorkeling and fishing.
The Kisite Marine Park covering an area of 23 kilometres squared was first registered as a national park in 1973. The boundaries were revised to cover 28 kilometres squared five years later and gazetted on May 10, 1978.
Well connected politicians and businessmen, working in cahoots with corrupt networks in Nairobi, managed to secure titles to the land on which Kisite Marine Park sits.
They have now manoeuvred to obtain approval to set up a ‘hospitality business’ on the Island with an advertisement posted online placing the value of the park at $16 million (about Sh1.4 billion). The global advertisement was placed by a Swiss national — Mr Alessandro Torriani — who owns Funzi keys, another resort at the Coast.
The determined cartels have ignored several caveats placed by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and are looking for buyers to buy the property.
But if the cartels who have secured titles to the land have their way, the park could soon be private property.
