Finance & Economic Planning
Like any other county, the department of finance in Mombasa County is in charge of all finances, coordinating other departments’ entities, approving plans of other departments, and preparing the annual budget of the county. It ensures economical financial management among the departments. It constitutes of Accounts, Audit, Budget and Economic Planning, Supply Chain Management (Procurement) and Revenue sections. The department has been transparent to the county management accounting for every cent utilization.
In collaboration with the small businesses in the county the finance and economic planning department has been supporting them by giving the SMEs small loans. The rich Coastal maritime has played a big role in growing the county’s economy.
Through the department of agriculture, Livestock, fisheries, and cooperatives there has been training of the fisheries to ensure good management in the sector which intern increases the economy. The department has achieved a lot including a successful county audit in all the departments. The procurement section has been able to execute all the county projects thus ensuring efficiency and effectiveness in the utilization of county resources. However, the department has encountered constraints including limited resources that would fully sustain all the other departments’ needs as well as the community needs. The department faced a challenge of limited capacity in the community participation in development activities. It also did not have enough resources to implement all the projects it intended. At a time, the department did not adhere to the budget due to arising preliminary issues. The National treasury at a times has been disbursing the funds late thus interfering with the departmental plans. The department has, however, come up with strategies to deal with challenges where applicable.
Tourism, Development, and Culture
Tourism and culture are among the main economic activities in the county with consideration that the county is located to the coast of the Indian Ocean. The department operates with a vision of making Mombasa County the most preferable county of destination in the tourism industry, culture, and business matters. The county is putting more effort to achieve this by facilitating development in the department, marketing and maintaining tourism, and improving the factors that give rise to tourism. The through sustainability activities the department was able to hold the Mombasa International Cultural festival 2015 so as to celebrate the cultural heritage of the Coastal people. The festivals were a channel of attracting more tourists to the county in that one activity the department was able to attract 130,000 visitors. The department has been facilitating international Cultural Extravaganza to bring more visitors to the county celebrate the beautiful diversity. The department has also been organizing the Amsha mama festivals which will educate women and empower them economically. It has also been carrying out workshops to empower and instill more skills in those practicing it so that they may have a diverse mindset and many ideas on the same.
The department is in an effort to attract more tourists it participated in the International Tourism Bourse showcasing the Mombasa tourist attraction sites that took place in Berlin. The department has been able to identify many public parks spaces where it has developed them and made them more attractive to the tourism task.
Examples of the parks include:
Mama Ngina Drive,
Shelly Beach
Jomo Kenyatta Public Beach Shanzu.
Tourism and culture go hand in hand with entertainment thus the departments have pushed for the authorization and licensing of Liquor. Despite the achievements, the department has faced difficult moments like when bar owners went to court to stop revenue collection. There is no insufficient technical staff in the tourism and cultural section thus being understaffed. The department of infrastructure work together with tourism and development as with improved infrastructure the county attracts more tourists. The county has put effort into ensuring that there is more construction and maintenance of infrastructure. Being in an urban set up the department has ensured power supply in different areas even in the interior the county. Connecting roads in the county are in good condition and it is due to good maintenance enforced by the department.
Trade, Energy, and Industry cooperatives
The county government of Mombasa is known for industrialization too has it hosts several industries across the economical section and advocates for trade activities. The department trade, energy, and industrialization have created a conducive environment for industrialization and trading. Among the types of industries in Mombasa County includes the service industry where shipping lines, ship repair and servicing yards, container freight stations, transport, clearing, and forwarding firms, and grain bulk handling. In the manufacturing industry, there are a number of them including oil refineries in both Petroleum and edible oil, the processing industries, glassware industries, and car assembly companies. The establishment of industries in the county has yielded employment opportunities to the residents. Being a slam, Likoni sub-county has no industry located in it as well Nyali. Therefore, the people from these two sub-counties seek employment in either Changamwe, Kisauni, Mvita, or Jomvu.
The trading activities in Mombasa County are active as many people are involved in SMEs which have activated and enabled economic growth. With the industries in the county, the department has been able to achieve a lot. First, the department has worked hand in hand with the SMEs and thus gave out 10 million shillings to support the expansion of the business. The department, in the budgetary year 2015/2016, received funds to enable the construction of the Shika Adabu market into a modern market and also facilitated in the construction of new kiosks for the traders whose kiosks were demolished during the market construction. The department has been facilitating workshops for instance the Brand Essence workshop held in 2015 to educate the traders on industrial matters and investment. Department of Trade, Energy & Industry cooperatives is the main department that looks at the living status of the people through ensuring employment opportunities in the industries and self-employment in the SMEs. The department has also facilitated the formation of cooperatives for the interest groups like the fisheries and small-scale farmers. The main challenge the department faces is enough funds to sustain the business.
Water, Sanitation, Environment, Irrigation, and Natural Resources
This department ensures that the residents have access to clean water, the environment, preservation of natural resources, and establishing and maintaining irrigation schemes. The water in Mombasa County is controlled by Mombasa Water and Sewage Company. Water supplied in the county comes from Mzima spring, Taita Taveta County, Marere, and Sabaki/Baricho in Kilifi County, and Tiwi Boreholes in Kwale County. From all the sources of water mentioned above, the county has not been able to fully supply the water to all the residents. It can only meet 65% of the total population. The remaining 35% of the population depends on borehole water which is salty, and dirty, thus unsuitable for human consumption.
The supply of the water is mainly through piping which at a time is a challenge as the pipes are prone to destruction such as the pipes bursting out. In sanitation, the department is ensuring proper sewage disposal and general hygiene in towns and even in rural settings. Water and sanitation go hand in hand. The department has achieved a lot including supplying the water in schools.
The illegal water connection and Kiosks have been a source of supply dirty water thus the department has closed them all up to ensure those involved in the business do it under the county government’s authority. The world bank has helped the department in funding the supply of water to the residents. Natural resources in the section of National Environment Management Authority ensure the preservation of natural resources such the benches, and maritime animals. The main challenge the department is facing is the fact that it is not easy to get fresh water in the county due to the presence of the Indian Ocean.
Agriculture Livestock, and Fisheries.
Mombasa county experiences and hot and dry climate which is not suitable for various agricultural activities. However, some regions experience small rainfalls thus enabling them to practice crop farming. The main crops found in these areas include cassava, maize, cucurbits family, vegetables, millet, and sorghum. These plants are resistant to climate and pestilences. The agriculture department has also facilitated the maintenance of irrigation schemes such as the Perkerra irrigation scheme. In the county, 400 hectares are under food crop farming, 500 hectares under cash crops, and 320 hectares under forestry. Due to low crop farming activities, the county mainly depends on other counties for food which is costly especially to low-income earning families. Comparing the average acreage per farmer among the small-scale farmers and the entire population, it is evident that farming cannot produce enough food for the entire county.
Being at the coast, fisheries is among the economic activities sustaining some of the people in the county. the department has been actively involved in fisheries by training youths in fish farming. However, the youths in the county have no sufficient fishing gear and vessels. Pirates in the oceans too lately have been a threat to the fishermen. Despite the department putting effort into animal rearing the this has not shown much effort as the county depends on other counties for animals products. The Kenya Meat Commission’s abattoir, in the county, imports meat from other counties. The department has undergone a constrain especially finances to fully support the projects. Delay in commencement of implementation of development projects occasioned by late confirmation of the availability of funds. Additionally, there is always a low willingness by suppliers to deliver goods and services before confirmation of payments occasioned by the numerous delays resulting in pending bills.
Education, and Vocational Training
Education has been given a priority in the county’s planning as it is the creation of the future of the county. for this reason, the county has set up 770 ECDE centers, 85 public, and 685 private centers.
There are 35 public high schools in the county which is a good number considering the size of the county. There are also private academic schools that have facilitated reducing the congestion in public schools. The department supports education as it has been working together with the finance sector in the disbursement of bursary through the Elimu Development Corporation and construction of more classes in the schools. With the recognition and prioritizing of education, the department is able to handle the education transition easily and motivate the learners. The department also introduces milk projects in lower classes that are from ECDE to class three. The project is so far working in 100 schools. This has therefore improved the health of the children thus sustaining them in schools.
The literacy level in the county is at 57% which is highly recommendable. The high literacy level is a result of the Free Primary Education Program, the Subsidized Secondary Education Program, adult literacy programs along with numerous bursary schemes from the CDFs, LATF, and Government.
In tertiary education, the county has the following institutes:
- one Technical Training Institute (Mombasa Technical Training Institute)
- Industrial Training Centre (Mombasa Industrial Training Centre)
- Medical Training College (Kenya Medical Training College in Mombasa and Port Reitz)
- Teacher Training College (Shanzu Teachers Training College).
The Technical University of Mombasa, formerly Mombasa Polytechnic is a polytechnic in the county, and other seven university campuses where four are public and three are privately owned. With the department’s support, the education level in the county is likely to increase. The department like any other has suffered financial constrain.
Health Access and Nutrition
The department deals with ensuring that the residents have access to medical services at an affordable price. The department has put more effort into the department as it has improved the hospitals in the county and improved the services. There is a level 5 hospital in the county that serves the entire coastal region. There are also private hospitals that have been of big help to the sector like the Aga Khan Hospital, the Mombasa Hospital, and Pandya Memorial Hospital.
The department has also supported the lower-level hospitals including the Tudor and Port Reitz level four hospitals. Malaria is among the ailments that mostly attack Mombasa residents. To curb the disease, the county has ensured the supply of mosquito nets families to cub the disease. The department also has been sensitizing the residents on the importance of immunization which is currently at 73% coverage. The sensitization has led to more deliveries attended to by the trained personnel. The county government is putting more effort to increase the percentage rate of immunization. The department has started the construction of more hospitals and health facilities under the ESP program, the Local Authority Transfer Fund and local Sub-county Development Funds have enhanced accessibility of immunization services and this is expected to raise the coverage.
Land, Energy, Housing, Physical Planning, and Urban Development
Energy Access
The main source of cooking energy for the county residents is paraffin at 53.6 per cent, charcoal at 30 per cent, firewood at 8.8 per cent LPG at 4.7 per cent and electricity at 1.7 per cent. This trend continues when it comes to lighting where paraffin also leads at 51.5 per cent followed closely by those relying on electricity at 47.5 per cent. The Kipevu power plant produces power which is fed into the national grid. The county has a high potential for generation of solar and wind energy, but this remains unexploited.
Markets and Urban Centres
The entire county is urban and hosts Mombasa City which is the second largest city in Kenya. It also hosts one of the largest wholesale and retail fresh produce market (Kongowea) where traders from all over the country and East Africa congregate and conduct business throughout the year. The city and the whole county experiences physical planning challenges due to the proliferation of slums, lack of a well-planned sewerage system, lack of effective solid waste management system/unplanned waste disposal points and other infrastructural facilities. Other key markets include Mwembe Tayari fresh produce market and Marikiti retail market. Additionally, there are all major supermarket and shopping malls within the city which provide convenient shopping to the residents.
Housing
In the county, 65.6 per cent of all houses are stone walled while those made of brick walls stand at 7.5 per cent. Corrugated roofing accounts for 69.0 per cent of all roofing materials while tiles make up 9.7 per cent of all the houses in the county. Most of the mud-walled houses are found in the slum areas where they are temporarily built. In these areas, land ownership is not guaranteed as most of the residents do not legally own land and the ones
they live on are owned by absentee landlords.
Land and Land Use
A sizeable number of people living in the peri-urban areas of the county practice subsistence small scale farming and keep different types of livestock. Land ownership for agricultural and Livestock activities remains a thorny issue in the County as most of the residents do not legally own land and the ones they cultivate on are owned by absentee landlords.
Percentage of Land with Title Deeds
Land ownership is a very important factor in the socio-economic development of the County. However, by July 2013, only 30 per cent of the residents had title deeds to their land. It is important to note that more title deeds were issued in some parts of the county in the month of August. In addition, only 1 per cent of the county population is supported by agriculture which translates to 6,797 individuals.
Roads, Transport, and Public Works
Mombasa has always been strongly influenced by transportation both culturally and economically. From the beginning it has been a port. This was supplemented
at the turn of the century by the railway. And now these will be augmented by an international airport. Each of the changes in means of transportation has had profound effect on the form and direction of Mombasa’s urban development. Ancient Mombasa clustered around the Old Harbour. The shift of the modern harbor to Kilindini made the west the most important side of the island. The railway helped make the west mainland the most important of the mainland areas. The airport is likely to have its greatest effect on beach development.
The local road network has also had a pronounced effect on the existing urban development, especially with regard to the mainland area. The causeway to the west mainland, the bridge to the north mainland, the vehicular ferry to Likoni and the pedestrian ferry to Mtongwe have each helped produce the different development patterns existing on each of those areas. The location of new transportation infrastructure will have an equally important influence on the future development of Mombasa. A new bridge (or airport or harbour) in one location might help open up a previously isolated area or provide incentive to invest in a relatively undeveloped area and in another location may simply aggravate congestion.
Airport: Mombasa airport was originally sited adjacent to the present site of the cement factory at Bamburi. During World War II the present site was developed primarily for military and naval purposes being close to the port and strategically located with easy access
to the town.
Railway: The importance of the railway to Mombasa’s future development is in the service of new industrial and harbour areas. The strict technical demands of rail service and gradients do much to determine the suitability of land for major industrial use.
Roads: After the harbour and the airport, the most influential investment for long-term planning will be major road works – the roads into Mombasa and the crossings between the island and the three mainlands. The different routes which these roads might follow will have profound, and very different, effects on the future growth and developments of the areas they will connect, or pass through, and on overall traffic patterns.
Administration, Corporate Services, and Stakeholder Management
Owing to its composition and placement in County Government structure, the sector mandate cuts across all County functions. The sector provides overall policy and leadership direction to the county, oversees legislation as well as the human resource function in the public service. It further coordinates county policy formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. Other key mandates undertaken in the sector include devolution, oversight and
service delivery.
Sector Composition
- County Executive Services
- Public Service Management
- Devolution & Sub-county Administration
- Office of the County Attorney
- County Assembly
- Public Service Board
Vision
Effective and efficient leadership in the management of County Affairs
Mission
To enhance coordination of government programmes for efficient and effective service delivery and enhance teamwork within the government departments.
Strategic Objectives
- To provide overall leadership for the implementation of county policies;
- To promote and strengthen county legislation, provide oversightand good public representation
- Achieve efficient public service management forimprovedservice delivery.
- Developing an organizational structure for provision, management.
- To promote good governance and compliance with the relevant laws.
- Coordination, Supervision and Management of all county functions, inter-departmental relations at the Sub-county and ward levels.
- To improve established channels of communication between citizens and the county government.
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