Tourists were starting to avoid Mombasa because of the Kibarani Dumpsite, an unsightly and odorous sight that greeted them upon landing at Moi International Airport. Birds would flock to the site to scavenge on the waste, increasing the risk of air crashes.
Only with the help of Mombasa’s millionaire “Asuu,” who owns Mombasa Cement, as well as the support of former President Uhuru Kenyatta and Governor Joho was the eyesore transformed into a beautiful landmark.
As a first move, former Governor Joho banned rubbish dumping, and then former President Kenyatta withdrew all land allocations at the Kibarani dumpsite, making the site unavailable to commercial developers.
When recently planted trees in the park were blown over by the high coastal winds, the crew came up with a solution to protect the trees by planting 2,000 mangrove trees near the beach to act as a windbreak.
At the conclusion of the restoration, the park was home to almost half a million plants, including Ashok trees, Christmas Palm trees, Jacaranda trees, Bougainvillea trees, coconut trees, sisal, and Casuarina.
